


Saveable

by the_writer1988



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Avengers Endgame fix-it, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Don't copy to another site, Endgame Fix-It, F/M, Family, Fix-It, Hurt Tony Stark, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Tony Stark Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-02-26 15:42:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 29,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18720067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_writer1988/pseuds/the_writer1988
Summary: AVENGERS ENDGAME SPOILERSHe’d condemned a brave man to death. A little girl to grow up without the father she adored. But Doctor Strange could still save Tony Stark. Endgame Fix-It.





	1. A Slight Change

**Author's Note:**

> Avengers: Endgame broke me. It really did. So I needed to fix it because Morgan deserves to grow up with her daddy. Tony deserves his rest, at home, with his family.

The worst feeling of seeing Strange’s finger come up to signify this was their only chance to win, was knowing that what he was about to do would ensure his death. Tony was the only one close enough. There were unshed tears in his eyes as he went towards Thanos, knowing he would never see his daughter grow up, never get to take her to her first day of school, never be the father he wanted to be with her. He’d miss her first day of school, miss her first award ceremonies… Miss her meeting Peter for the first time. He knew what he was about to do would save everyone else in the entire universe… but not himself. 

He was already commanding the nanites to form a make-shift Infinity Gauntlet. It was exposing his fingers. And as he tackled Thanos, wrestling for the Infinity Gauntlet, trying to make the Titan believe he was trying to get the Gauntlet itself, he was already commanding the nanites to retrieve the stones. 

Thanos was wearing a Gauntlet that was Tony’s own technology. It responded to him when in contact with other nanites. 

He was flung away by Thanos, crashing to the ground, curling up as intense pain spread up his arm as the Infinity Stones settled within the Gauntlet of his suit. He could feel them. It was a struggle not to scream. He could feel the power of the Stones burning his arm, spreading out over the right side of his body…

“I am inevitable.” He heard Thanos snap his fingers and nothing happened. 

He was in agony, so much pain. It was difficult to push himself into a sitting position to face Thanos as the Titan turned to look at him in shock.

Holding up his right hand, Tony turned his hand around, revealing the six Infinity Stones sliding into place on his Gauntlet, merging with his suit. Breathing was difficult. He had to be strong. 

“And I….” His body was failing him. “Am. Iron Man.” 

He snapped his fingers and everything went white. 

\- - - - -

Dr. Strange had always known Tony Stark was the essential piece to Thanos’ ultimate defeat. He’d spared Tony’s life for a reason. 

But only so he could die at the right time. 

Ever since seeing what Tony would have to do to end the threat of Thanos for good, Strange had tried to think of ways to save the man, to avoid the painful death that awaited him. To ensure he lived to see his daughter grow up. 

He’d hated the man when he first met him. Hated that he owed his life to him. Stark was a nuisance, a rather brash, rude person who thought he knew best. And yet, in the one path of success he had seen, the one outcome in which they won, Stark died. 

Stark knowingly sacrificed his life. 

Giving up his own happiness and his own future to save the entire universe. 

Committing the most selfless act. 

An act he would never have thought possible of Stark. 

As he watched Stark lunge for the Titan once more, despite the distance being too far, Strange could just make out the tiny movements as the nanites in Stark’s suit reacted with the nanite technology Stark had used to build the Gauntlet. They were taking the Infinity Stones from the Gauntlet, transferring them into Stark’s suit. 

The Titan did not notice. He threw Stark aside with a vicious push, sending the man sprawling. 

Strange’s heart almost stopped, straining to prevent the water from crashing down around them. Thanos raised his fingers but nothing happened. Strange didn’t want to look away. He had to see this. His choices had led them to this point. A brave man was about to die. 

Stark kneeled on the ground, the Infinity Stones amalgamating with his suit and his right arm turned to reveal all six stones shining brightly. Power coursed up Stark’s arm. Strange saw the man take struggling breaths, saw him click his fingers before a flash of white light covered his vision. 

He had seen the burning of Stark’s arm, had witnessed the damage trace up his neck and begin to spread across his chest but the white light had obscured his vision. 

When the light cleared, the water Strange had been trying to hold back was being supported by the other sorcerers and Wong was there, next to him. 

“Go.” 

Strange took off. There might be a small hope to save Stark’s life. He wasn’t dead yet. In the future he had seen where Stark died, Strange had been predisposed in trying to stop the water from flooding the crater where the Avengers Facility had once sat. He had been unable to help him and there was still a chance now that Wong and the others had taken over… 

Cloak flapping behind him he ran towards where Stark sat. Not many people had noticed Stark’s injuries. They were all too busy looking around at the dust that had once been Thanos and his army. Stark had done to Thanos what he had done to the rest of the universe. 

He saw Stark’s friends and wife arrive, skidding to a halt just to the side of them, as Pepper was crouching down to be with her husband in his final moments. 

Stark’s friend and the spider-kid glanced at him, their faces rimmed with tears. The kid was trembling. 

They didn’t know Stark still had a chance. “I can save him.”

\- - - - -

“You can rest now.” Pepper’s voice was soft. 

Tony’s heartbeat was slowing. His eyes barely showed any recognition to the people around him, glazing over. The stones usage had torn his body apart. Pepper could see the damage wrought through the suit, on Tony’s face and his right arm. The Stones themselves still rested on top of Tony’s hand but his suit was not shaped into a Gauntlet anymore, so they were no longer activated. They were silent, sitting amongst the ruins of Tony’s ruined arm.

Tony’s head flopped to the side, his eyes losing focus. 

Tears welled in Pepper’s eyes. She had been holding it together for Tony’s sake, giving him the peace he needed to know that dying wasn’t something she blamed him for. She had known when she’d told him he had her blessing to go on this Time Heist that Tony may not come back to her. But to see him now, having won, only to have to pay such a high cost… 

She couldn’t stop the sobs wracking her body. 

A hand rested on her shoulder. She wanted to shake it off. She didn’t want to be disturbed. Whoever wanted to take this from her…

But they knelt down beside her, trying to draw her away from her husband’s body. 

“I can save him.” 

Those four words gave Pepper hope. 

**To be continued...**


	2. Prognosis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doctor Strange attempts to save Tony's life...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thank you for the feedback for the first chapter! I'm glad people are liking this so far! This could become quite a long fic though for now, chapters will be shortish.

Kneeling down beside the stricken man, Strange reached out for the Time Stone, releasing it from its place in Stark’s Gauntlet. The stones, which had moved into place via the nanites in Stark’s suit had shifted back to a neutral position allowing the Sorcerer to take possession of it.

The arc reactor was flickering in the chest piece of the suit. Stark was seconds from death. He didn’t have much time. 

“Tony…” Pepper tried to move forward again. 

“Please. Let me,” urged Strange. Placing the stone back into the Eye of Agamotto he wore around his neck, Strange twisted the stone, spinning it three times, focusing his magic upon Stark’s failing body. 

Stark’s body went completely still, frozen, hard as anything, almost like ice, but without the effect of freezing. 

“What did you do?” Pepper’s voice broke through. 

Strange shifted on his knees, his gaze directed at Stark’s wife. “I’ve frozen his body in time. Whilst he is in this state he cannot die. His condition will not deteriorate but he doesn’t have much longer to live. I can make no promises… You may still lose him.” 

\- - - - -

With T’Challa’s permission and Shuri’s insistence, Stark’s frozen body was taken via portal to Wakanda. 

The portal took them straight to Shuri’s lab where Stark’s body was set upon an operating table in the middle of a theatre. Every Wakandan doctor and surgeon had been called in to assist, whilst junior doctors and nurses dealt with injuries from the other combatants on the field. 

Outside the operating theatre waited Stark’s family and friends for updates on his condition. 

Keeping Stark frozen in time was putting a lot of toil on Strange’s powers but if it meant saving the man’s life…What mattered was giving Stark a fighting chance. His injuries were severe, fatal… Perhaps even to a point where it would be impossible to bring him back from them, no matter how hard they tried.

But Stark had just saved the entire universe with his selfless actions. 

Surely the universe owed him this one thing? This one chance to live? The universe couldn’t be that cruel. 

Could it? 

He was taken out of his thoughts by one of the surgeons who were prepping themselves for surgery. “Will you be staying?” 

Strange nodded. “I’m the one keeping him alive at the moment.” He looked down at his dusty and blood-stained clothes. “I’ll get into scrubs. I have to remain here if we have any chance of saving Tony Stark.” 

\- - - - -

Pepper was trembling in her seat. Rhodey sat next to her, an arm wrapped around her shoulders in comfort. Her face was still streaked with tears. She’d removed her armour but now they waited outside the medical unit for any news. Pepper hadn’t spoken since Tony had been taken inside. They didn’t know how long it had been since they’d been sitting there either.

“Morgan.” 

Rhodey glanced at Pepper. “She’ll be fine.” 

“She needs to be here. I promised her I wouldn’t be too long. I was just going to help –” she choked. “What if… what if I have to tell her?” 

Rhodey squeezed her hands. “You won’t.” 

“You heard him. Tony could still…” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word. 

“They’re doing everything they can, Pep.” Rhodey pulled her into a hug. “You should try to sleep.” 

Pepper shook her head. “No. Not while I don’t know. I can’t.” Her eyes were fixed on the door in front of them. 

“They’re going to be a while yet,” said a female voice, coming from the opposite direction. 

Pepper raised her head from Rhodey’s shoulder. Shuri, T’Challa’s sister was walking along the corridor towards them. 

“I’ve seen the initial report. His injuries are severe. He’s in surgery right now. It could be hours before we hear more. Please, rest. You all need it,” advised Shuri, gently. 

“Not while my husband is dying!” Pepper swallowed, ignoring the voice. “I won’t be able to sleep not knowing!” 

Shuri inclined her head. “Very well. Would you like anything? A drink?” 

“No.” 

“Water would be good,” requested Rhodey, “even if we do not drink it and blankets. It is a bit chilly waiting here.” He didn’t need to add that Pepper was not going to move from her spot. 

“I will arrange for water and blankets,” replied Shuri. “If you need anything, the guards at the end of the corridor will contact me.” 

“Thank you,” said Rhodey. 

\- - - - -

They were soon joined by Steve, Thor, Bruce, Clint and Peter Parker. Pepper had dozed off in that time, despite her insistence in not wanting to. She was exhausted. 

“The others are waiting for news,” said Steve quietly. “We told them what we’ve been doing the last five years… How we got everyone back. How Tony won the war…” He bowed his head. “I once accused him of never being able to lay down on the wire and make the sacrifice play…” His shoulders shrunk. “But Tony’s been doing it for years… The nuke, Ultron, Thanos on Titan… And now… this…” 

“You always misjudged him, Steve,” said Rhodey quietly. “Only a few of us ever knew the real Tony. You judged him on his past, not on what he had become. Afghanistan changed him in more ways than one. Every experience he had made him different, more open. He started off completely selfish, big-headed and full of himself, but in the end… He showed you what he is truly capable of. He could still die. There is no guarantee he can be saved.” 

“We all did,” murmured Clint. “I thought he’d betrayed us when we were in the Raft… I accused him of breaking us.”

Rhodey winced. Tony had told him what Clint had said to him. Those words had hurt. Clint had been laying the blame of Rhodey’s spine injury at Tony’s feet, ignoring the fact that if Steve had tried to settle the Accords diplomatically rather than fight against them, none of this would have happened. He chose not to bite back. Now wasn’t the time. “I thought you’d go home to your family, Clint.” 

“I was,” answered the archer, “but Laura told me to stay. It’s all over the news that everyone is back. It’s chaotic out there. I want to see her and the kids… I sort of told her what happened. She’s realised she disappeared and came back. As did all the kids. But Stark…no, Tony, is one of us. I need to be here. Nat would want me to be here too.”

“I think Tony would appreciate you being here, Clint,” said Rhodey sadly. “I just hope he makes it.” 

“He will,” said Bruce quietly. “He has to.” 

\- - - - -

It was nearly seven hours before Doctor Strange emerged from the operating theatre, a sombre expression on his face. He looked tired, exhausted even. His hands were trembling. 

“I thought you would all be waiting,” he said quietly. 

“Tony?” Pepper asked quietly. There was fear in her face. 

“He is still alive, in critical condition,” confirmed Stephen Strange. “Using all six Infinity Stones severely burnt his right side. His chest and shoulder were most affected. We had to carry out repairs to his aorta into and out of his heart to keep blood flow going to his heart. I only lifted the spell I laid on him after that repair had been carried out. His face has burn damage. We’ve cleaned the area but further surgery will be required to repair the skin. The right leg has sustained a small amount of burn damage. His right lung has failed, all three lobes are burned. We are looking at possibly having to carry out a transplant but we are going to look at options to attempt to regenerate it with cells from his left lung. His right kidney remains undamaged. His liver has been half-destroyed. We hope the liver may regenerate by itself. His right arm where most of the damage was taken…” Strange hesitated before continuing, “We’ve had to amputate. The arm had been destroyed by the use of the stones. The bone had melted inside it and the blood vessels were ruptured. There was no way to save his arm. He is not breathing on his own and remains in a coma.” 

A sob erupted from Pepper’s throat. Rhodey rubbed her back. 

“What’s the prognosis?” asked Rhodey. 

“Until he is able to breathe on his own, the prognosis is not good. He is stable for now. If I hadn’t frozen him on the battlefield… he would have died. He was bleeding into his chest cavity with the aorta damage. If Stark pulls through he will have a long road ahead of him. The next twenty-four hours are critical. If in a few days he remains stable we will have to consider a lung transplant, unless the Wakandan medicine is able to perform a miracle and heal some of the damage to his right lung. We’ve done all we can for now. The rest is up to him.” 

Pepper sniffed, wiping away the tears. “Can… can I see him?” 

“Yes, you may.” 

\- - - - -

Pepper walked into the room where Tony lay in bed, kept sedated in a coma. She had wanted to come in on her own. He was covered with wires, several machines aligned around his bed, beeping away, taking constant measurements of his heart, blood pressure and feeding him drugs to keep his body going. The right side of his face was covered in bandages, hiding the gruesome injury he had sustained from using the stones.

He was fully intubated with a machine helping him to breathe. 

Tony’s remaining arm lay on the bed, outside of the covers, his wedding ring gleaming on his ring finger. His right arm had two cannulas inserted, each for their own purposes for nutrition and drugs. There was also a cannula in his throat, inserted into his jugular vein. 

He looked so small, wrapped up in tubes and wires. So pale and completely unaware of what was happening to him. 

Pepper reached out and curled her fingers into his left hand. Tears welled up in her eyes. 

She’d given him permission to go. She hadn’t needed to. They’d been lucky. They’d built a quiet life together. This was never supposed to happen. Rogers had come with their time-travel idea and Tony had to try. He’d tried to move on, yet she’d seen him over the five years mourning for Peter. Even after Morgan had been born, Pepper had already made up her mind that if a solution was discovered that needed Tony to help bring everyone back, she wouldn’t stop him. He suffered, as did everyone else in the world that had lost someone. She would support him. 

She didn’t regret it, even now looking at her husband in the hospital bed. Tony wouldn’t have been able to rest. 

She had known she might lose him by letting him go. 

Stroking his hand, she leaned across and kissed him on the left side of his face.

“Please don’t go,” she whispered. The tears trailed down her cheeks. “I love you, Tony. We need you. We both need you.” 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly don't know if it is possible for Strange to freeze people in time but creative liberty... The Time Stone has lots of different powers. 
> 
> Tony's various injuries are quite extensive. For him to die so quickly on the battlefield hints at a lot of internal damage. I also think a lot of his vital organs would be ruined. Since the heart is on the left side of the chest it remains unaffected but it was his aorta which was partially burned would be a big problem. He has one lung which is ruined beyond repair (possibly) and having had a kidney transplant myself when I was 18 I know quite a lot about transplants in general so for Tony to potentially require a lung transplant isn't out of the ordinary. It is a potential idea I may follow up... I don't think Tony's recovery will be easy in any way. I want to make this realistic as possible and not hand-wave Tony's injuries away with magic or Wakandan technology. I want to explore what the real consequences could be in a situation like this. 
> 
> Tony losing an arm... Judging by the way he looked in the film and the way his face was burnt and bloody I believe the only likelihood would be amputation. Especially since it seems Hulk's arm is severely damaged too and he only survived because he already has experience with Gamma Radiation. 
> 
> Morgan will eventually make her appearance but her dad is too unwell for her to see him. 
> 
> I aim to try to update weekly. 
> 
> Until next time,
> 
> the-writer1988


	3. The Surgery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper, Strange and Rhodey... plus surgery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thank you so much for the response to this fic! 
> 
> I'm glad people are enjoying I'm trying to take the realistic route in Tony's recovery. Even though I will be using some of the MCU healing equipment - such as the Regeneration Cradle - Tony's recovery isn't going to be quick in other aspects. There is still a lot of ground to cover.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Tony survived the night. 

He remained stable, even with the machine breathing for him. 

Pepper kept a constant vigil at his bedside, only leaving his side when it was necessary. T’Challa had offered to bring Morgan to Wakanda but Pepper had declined. Their daughter didn’t need to see her father like this. Tony was a hero to Morgan. Seeing Tony as he was now would scare her. She was too young to be scarred by the image of her father so broken. 

Rhodey returned to the US with the rest of the Avengers. The recent events of people returning from the dead and the major alien attack on US soil had called for all participating superheroes to present themselves to discuss and learn why half the population had suddenly returned. A lot of work would be needed to restore the world back to the way it was. 

People had moved on in the five years, begun new lives, only to be confronted by former loved ones they had long accepted were dead and were not coming back. A world that was slowly healing had been thrown into chaos once again. 

Peter had wanted to stay in Wakanda with Tony however his Aunt May had asked him to return, once he had learned his Aunt had been a victim of the decimation too. He wanted to be with Tony, to make sure he was alright but it wasn’t fair on his Aunt for him to stay away. Reluctantly, Peter had returned to Queens though Pepper had promised to keep him up-to-date with Tony’s progress. 

Doctor Strange remained in Wakanda assisting in any way he could with Tony’s recovery. 

It was three days later that Pepper received some good news regarding her husband’s condition. 

The Wakandan Doctor in charge of Tony’s recovery, a Dr. L’arlson needed to discuss their next options. Tony was still in a medically induced coma. They doubted he would wake up any time soon. 

“We have made contact with Helen Cho. I believe she once worked with the Avengers?” 

Pepper nodded. “Yes, she did.” Helen had needed to take leave after the Ultron fiasco and hadn’t returned to the fold. 

“Her regeneration cradle could provide the boost we need for Mr Stark’s failed lung. Before she was taken in the decimation, she had started work on growing organic tissues. We may be able to combine our two technologies to help regenerate Mr Stark’s lung. Failing that we could clone his lung though that is technology which is beyond even Wakandan’s advancements. If we can stimulate the lung to heal we may be able to take him off the ventilator. He should be able to breathe on his own after we’ve sorted the lung which means we may be able to begin the process of waking him up.” 

“That’s good,” said Pepper. 

“He still has a long road ahead of him. He will have to learn to live with the scars. The burns he has acquired on his face are, to put it bluntly, horrific. They may heal in time with skin grafts but there is only so much we can do. If we could have saved his arm…” 

Pepper smiled sadly. “I know he is lucky to be alive. He doesn’t know it yet. I wish he did.” She knew how much losing an arm would hurt Tony when he found out. “Thank you for everything you are doing for him.” 

“He’s a hero. He saved us all. It would be remiss of us to not help him.” 

\- - - - -

Pepper was sitting in the small dining area reserved for family members of patients being treated in the intensive care unit of the Wakandan Royal Palace. It was rare for outsiders to be treated here, however, the technology was more advanced in the palace than in the hospital on the other side of the city and Tony needed the best care possible if he was to survive. 

She had a plate of meat pie and vegetables yet she didn’t feel like eating. She had to if she was going to stay strong for Tony. She wanted to see her daughter. Happy was looking after her. And she was tempted to bring Morgan to Wakanda. Who knew how long Tony would be here for? She couldn’t keep Morgan away from Tony forever. 

“Mrs Stark?” 

Pepper looked up from her plate and saw Stephen Strange standing next to her. “Hi,” she said weakly. 

“I feel I owe you an explanation,” he said. He didn’t bother to sit down. “It’s my fault Tony is the way he is.” 

Pepper swallowed. “Right.” She didn’t know what to say. 

“He was supposed to die,” admitted Strange. 

Those words tugged at Pepper’s heart. Tony had nearly died. He’d been so close to death's door, only to be brought back. 

“You were supposed to be the last thing he saw… Before the decimation, I saw the future. I looked into the future and saw one way in which we won.” 

“I know,” whispered Pepper. “Tony told me what you said to him when you were on that planet together. He told me everything.” 

“Tony was the key to victory. He was always the key but he had to die doing it. I saved his life on that planet so he could die at the right time. I condemned him to death.”

“But you saved him,” she pointed out.

“I gave him a chance. Even with the advancements of Wakandan and the Regeneration cradle technology, Tony could still die. He was lucky using the stones didn’t fry his brain, only burned his face. His whole body was hit by a large dose of radiation. He’s only alive because I couldn’t just let him die. But I set him up to die.” 

Pepper sighed. “I don’t blame you.” 

“You should,” stated Strange bitterly. “I hate I made the choice to sacrifice his life.” 

“I said before Tony told me everything. I know you told him there was only one way to win. We both knew, in a way, Tony was living on borrowed time. We hoped we’d have more years together before we’d be separated forever. These last five years went by too quickly. I could have stopped him from helping… I let him go because he could have helped so many people. We were lucky we had each other and Morgan.” 

“On the battlefield, after Thanos had got the Gauntlet, I looked at Tony and motioned to him that this was the one way. Tony knew he had one chance to stop Thanos. If he hadn’t of acted…” 

“We’d all be dead,” finished Pepper. 

Strange bowed his head. “But I knew he was meant to die. I knew he’d die leaving behind a young child. A child who adored him. And I let it happen. I put that path in motion,” 

Pepper reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Tony isn’t dead yet. Even if he doesn’t make it, you still tried to save him. If there was only one way to save us all and it meant Tony had to die, I’m grateful Morgan’s life will not be ended. Her survival, her future meant everything to Tony. He would rather have died than her.” 

Strange’s shoulders slumped. “Thank you. If there is anything I can do for you…” 

She could see the guilt weighed heavily on him. “I’ll call you.” 

\- - - - -

Helen Cho arrived in Wakanda the following day from South Korea, bringing along with her, her regeneration cradle technology, as well as her research on organic tissue regeneration. 

She was immediately brought to Tony’s side where they assessed his condition. He remained stable but in a critical condition. 

Pepper maintained vigilance outside Tony’s room. She had wanted to be there with him but the sensitive work they needed to carry out on Tony’s body necessitated them working without interference. 

She waited outside, worry in her gut as she wondered if they would be able to help him. 

“Mrs Stark?” 

She looked up and saw Dr. L’arlson. Her heart beat faster in her chest. “What’s happened?” 

“Nothing,” he reassured her. “We’re prepping to take him to surgery. The procedure we intend to do is to place new lung cells taken from his healthy lung and prompt his body to accept and then grow and restore his damaged lung. If this succeeds we can begin the process of waking him up. But before we go ahead with this, we do need your consent. He’s unable to make these decisions.” 

Consent. Pepper already knew what her answer would be. “Do it. Tony would want to try.” 

“Then we shall continue with our preparations.” 

\- - - - -

Rhodey returned to Wakanda a few hours later whilst Tony was in surgery. He found Pepper once again waiting outside the operating theatre. 

“How is… everything?” she asked, leaning back in the chair she sat on. Her body was shaking from the nerves. 

“Honestly? It’s a storm out there. Chaotic. The governments are trying to work together but people who have been dead for five years have suddenly returned? That’s… We did the right thing in bringing everyone back but we didn’t consider the implications if we did. There is a genuine agreement to work together but a lot of countries lost their leaders and they come back and expect to carry on as leader when they’ve been replaced by someone else. In light of this, most governments are trying to form coalitions in order to maintain some order… We’re lucky our President survived and we re-elected last year. A lot of statements have gone out. They all know of a giant alien ship over the Avengers Compound. There are photos of it all over the net.” 

“What else do they know?” 

“There is a concern from the public that Tony is dead. He hasn’t been seen since the battle and he’s not appearing in press with the Avengers who are attempting to smooth everything over. Steve is leading the press talks, trying to explain everything, but people want to know where Tony is.” 

“Oh.” 

Rhodey reached out for her hand. “It may be best if you could make a statement about him. Steve is refusing to clarify anything for the press without your knowledge.” 

“I’m not sure I can face a press conference whilst Tony is…” she stopped, already knowing what she had to do. “Can a press release do? Confirming Tony is alive?” 

“Is he going to live?” queried Rhodey, nodding towards the doors of the operating theatre. 

“He’s remained stable but until he breathes on his own…” Pepper felt the tears welling up. “They’re trying to fix his lung now. If this works…” She reached out for Rhodey’s hand and squeezed his fingers. “If this works, they might be able to wake him up.” 

“And Morgan? I did go and see her before coming back. She wants to see her dad and her mum.”

“I know… I want to see her too… but… Tony… I can’t leave him,” replied Pepper wistfully.

“I don’t think they’ll wake him up without your permission. You should go and see her. It only needs to be a few hours.” 

“Ok. Once Tony is out of surgery I’ll ask Stephen to portal me home and back again. He wants to help and I think he would do anything I ask of him for now.” 

“Using him for transport, are you, Pep?” grinned Rhodey. 

“If I can…” smiled Pepper. 

\- - - - -

“The surgery was successful,” beamed Helen Cho as she walked out of the theatre. “We successfully combined my technology with Wakandan tech and we’ve been able to stimulate Tony’s right lung to heal. The regeneration Cradle is healing the whole lung. We’ve placed him in the regeneration Cradle for now so the work can continue.” 

“So he’s still in surgery?” 

Helen shook her head. “No. We cannot remove him from the operating theatre because we’ve placed him in the Cradle. His lung is currently regenerating using cells from his left lung. We’re also trying to use the cradle to heal the burns on the right side of his face, using skin cells from his left side. He’ll be in the cradle for at least forty-eight hours. The damage is being slowly healed but the extensive nature of his injuries means we have to be careful what we do with the Cradle.” 

“I can’t see him then?” asked Pepper. 

“I’m afraid the theatre is sterile. To allow you it would be counter-productive to the work we are trying to do with him.” 

Rhodey folded his arms across his chest. “Will he be okay?” 

“It is too early to tell,” replied Helen quietly. “His injuries are something I have never seen before. We are attempting new therapy, completely untested, on a living patient. This isn’t the way scientists work. Extensive trials are always done for years before any new techniques are tested. I’m breaking every ethical conduct I follow just to save his life.” 

“It means a lot you are doing it,” smiled Pepper. “Thank you.” 

“I need to return to the theatre. I will keep you updated.” 

\- - - - -

Strange hadn’t been part of the theatre team this time around and he agreed to portal Pepper back to America. 

Since she had at least two days before she’d be able to see Tony again, Pepper decided she would draft a press release from _Stark Industries_ confirming Tony was alive and receiving medical aid though she refused to clarify any other details. 

This press release went out a few hours after it had been released. 

She returned to the _Stark Residence_ by the lake where they had set up home five years ago after Pepper had learned she was pregnant three months after Tony had returned from space. They’d got married a month after the decimation, choosing to try to live with what they had than mourn for those they had lost. Pepper had remained CEO of Stark Industries during the five years but had reduced her duties a lot to ensure she could spend as much time with Tony and Morgan as possible. 

Morgan’s birth hadn’t been announced. Not many people knew they had a child, though the news was now drifting out into the press since Pepper’s press announcement of Tony’s condition. It was better to cover both rumours in the same release. 

Morgan was happy to see her but kept begging to see her father. All Pepper could do was explain that her daddy was too sick for her to see her and it would be better for her to wait until he was better. She hoped the day was not far off when Morgan could see Tony again. 

They spent several hours drawing cards for Tony, with Morgan even writing a get-well letter to him, wishing he was coming home soon so they could have as many juice pops as they wanted. 

Or rather what she wanted. 

Tony spoilt his daughter rotten. 

But Pepper would rather Morgan grew up with loving parents than with no concept of love. Tony’s mother had loved him yet his father had been the absent parent who hadn’t left Tony with the thought he’d ever loved him. 

She’d just put Morgan to bed when her phone rang. 

“Hello?” Pepper picked up quickly. 

“Mrs Stark? It’s Helen Cho.” 

“Helen, hi!” Fear welled in her chest. Was Tony alright? The forty-eight hours were nearly up. 

The next words gave her hope and a huge relief. 

“He’s breathing on his own.” 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think!
> 
> For those wondering, Peter will return. I think him returning to Aunt May is realistic because she would want him back after everything that has happened. Plus the Avengers are having to deal with various governments meaning Pepper is pretty much on her own in Wakanda whilst they try to heal Tony. 
> 
> Next chapter... will Tony finally be allowed to wake up?


	4. Bad News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve deals with the world's press and Pepper gets more bad news...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the lovely comments! 
> 
> I'm going to try to keep with weekly updates for now. Unless chapters get longer than this should be manageable for me :)

**TONY STARK SURVIVES BY A THREAD**

\-----

**TONY STARK SAVED US ALL**

\-----

**STARK CRITICALLY INJURED TO SAVE THE WORLD**

\-----

**PEPPER POTTS BREAKS SILENCE**

\-----

**THE COST OF BRINGING EVERYONE BACK AFTER THE DECIMATION: Natasha Romanoff gives her life and Tony Stark critically injured in a moment of sacrifice!**

 

All over the world, the story was coursing through the media. Ever since Pepper’s press release regarding Tony’s status the papers and news had blown up, even as the Governments attempted to bring some semblance of normality back to the planet. There was so much chaos that Natasha’s vital sacrifice was being overlooked. 

Following Pepper’s press statement, the Avengers, in conjunction with governments across the world, released their own statement. 

Steve had been tasked with holding a press conference, a task which had been delegated to him in Tony’s absence and the fact he had become the face of the Avengers during the previous five years, though the Avengers team hadn’t really been needed. They’d all tried to move on or help others to do so. The world’s survivors of the Decimation had all been told what had happened in 2018, how the Avengers had fought bravely to stop Thanos from winning. They had never clarified what weapons Thanos had used to kill half the population. The world was aware it wasn’t just Earth that had been affected: it was the entire universe. 

The Avengers had decided to be truthful – to some extent. They had never released the information Thor had murdered Thanos in 2018. The Avengers all realised the Thanos they had fought – and who Tony had killed – had been one from the past, where there was now an alternate timeline where Thanos and his army had just vanished. Nebula had explained what had happened to her when she and Rhodey had gone to Morag to retrieve the Power Stone. How she had been captured because of the network link between herself and her younger self. How her younger self had switched roles, infiltrating the team… 

No one blamed her. They hadn’t considered the network Nebula had run on and Nebula hadn’t considered it either; it was a regret she would continue to hold for a long time.   
They revealed that Thanos had returned to prevent them from undoing his ‘noble’ work. Steve explained in detail how the Avengers had brought the stones together (neglecting to mention time-travel and that they’d only found them across the universe and on Earth, scattered in different places). 

Bruce refused to take full credit of bringing everyone back. He didn’t want it to be known he was the one who had snapped his fingers to restore everyone. The injury to his arm was explained as a severe burn during the battle with Thanos. He didn’t believe it was right he should take the whole credit when all six of them had played their part in bringing the Infinity Stones together. Tony and Nat deserved the credit because of what they had suffered to succeed. Nat had died and Tony still might…

They emphasised Natasha’s role and how she had sacrificed herself to ensure the capture of one of the Stones. They wanted to give her as much credit as possible because, without her sacrifice, everyone would not have been returned. 

And then there was Tony’s role. 

Since they had decided to not reveal the existence of time-travel for fear of the technology being used dangerously, Steve struggled to explain how vital Tony had been to the entire mission. 

Yes, Scott had given them the theory of time-travel but it had been Tony who had applied the theory to practice and used Hank Pym’s Quantum technology in order to ensure the success of their mission. 

Standing at the podium, in front of the world’s press, Steve gripped the sides of it, struggling what to say. He had nearly broken down talking about Nat. Her loss had hurt them all… 

“This mission to bring everyone back who died five years ago would not have succeeded if Tony hadn’t invented the vital equipment we needed to pull our mission off. Finding the objects we needed wasn’t easy. Thanos arrived to stop us when he decided he was going to destroy the universe and start over… When he tried to take the weapons from us… He nearly succeeded. We all fought against him, trying to stop him, but he was so determined to achieve his goal. I was knocked out… Thor was down… and… then there was Tony…”   
Steve sighed, bowing his head. “Tony’s technology has advanced so much since he started building Iron Man suits. His suit can materialise from a small Arc Reactor, cover his whole body and he can use the technology to create whatever he needs. Tony used his suit discreetly to steal the weapons from Thanos. He used them against Thanos and his army, destroying them all and saved not just Earth but the universe. But the power he held was too much for Tony. The destructive power of the weapons he wielded left him with critical injuries and near system failure. He is being treated at an undisclosed location for his injuries. It was only through the quick actions of several of our comrades that Tony is still alive. I will not hide you from the fact he may not recover.” 

They had all agreed that Tony’s condition needed to be mentioned and that he might not survive.

“Tony saved us all. He knew he would die if he took those weapons and used them. And he still did it. He laid down on the wire and it is only through our sheer determination to save him that he is still alive.”

Steve stood straight, looking around the room at the sea of reporters. 

“This concludes our statement.”

\- - - - -

She didn’t waste any time in returning to Wakanda. She never asked for details over the phone, instead Strange portalled her back to just outside Tony’s room where Shuri, Helen Cho and Dr L’arlson waited for her. 

“Tony?” she asked, fear rumbling in her stomach. 

The three exchanged glances and Pepper had a bad feeling. 

“You said he is breathing on his own?” she pressed. _Please don’t give me hope…_

Helen stepped forward. “Mrs Stark, his right lung is healed thanks to the regeneration cradle technology and he is breathing on his own. However, we have made further analysis over the course of the last few days whilst you’ve been away. We have encountered several problems.” 

Pepper’s breath caught in her throat. 

“I think its best if you sit down,” advised Shuri. She opened the door to Tony’s room and gestured inside.

Pepper walked in, swallowing heavily as her legs crossed the room despite feeling weak as she took a seat next to Tony’s bed. He was still deathly white, still hooked up to the machines, though one was currently switched off, as he breathed on his own. She found her hand moving towards his left and gently took it in hers. 

Shuri, Helen and Dr L’arlson joined her, each taking seats next to her. 

“His right lung is healed,” repeated Helen, “and there is activity within his liver which shows cellular regeneration. We have given him medication to help stimulate this along. The Cradle can only do so much. The repair we did on his aorta isn’t holding as well as we would like. This does require further surgery but he isn’t strong enough yet to cope with it. We have to hope his aorta doesn’t tear or collapse on us before he is strong enough to survive it. He only survived the original surgery because of Dr Strange’s intervention with his magic, as I understand it. This is not a route we wish to take again. ” 

Pepper felt sick. She’d been given hope but now it was being taken rapidly away. 

Dr L’arlson offered her a small smile, not that it gave her much conciliation. “It is intensive surgery due to the nature of the damage. We will have to open up his chest cavity and insert a stent and a mesh to prevent leakages. Because the damage is close to his heart we cannot carry out the procedure through inserting a stent through his femoral artery and feeding it up. It has to be open surgery and Tony isn’t strong enough at the moment to survive.” 

She was shaking and couldn’t help herself. 

“We can’t wake him up then?” 

Shuri shook her head. “No. Not yet. There… is… more.” 

“I’m not sure I can take anymore bad news,” whispered Pepper, squeezing Tony’s hand. 

“He’s suffering from radiation poisoning. The amount of radiation he received was fatal. He is only being kept alive because of the intervention made on his behalf by Dr Strange,” explained Shuri. “We were able to give him antibiotics and anti-radiation sickness tablets to help reduce the damage done to his cells. If he survives this, he will be at a very high risk of cancer developing in the next few years due to the radiation exposure.” 

“I could still lose him despite what you do…” Pepper choked out. 

“We are doing everything we can to prolong his life,” assured Helen. “There are so many risks to what we are doing here, that there will be side effects. The burn damage to his face is likely to have ruined his hearing in his right ear and partially his eyesight too. The scans do show damage to both areas but we cannot assess the severity until he wakes up.” 

Pepper wiped her eyes. Tears were mingling there, waiting to fall. “Nothing is going to be the same, is it?” 

Helen leaned across and pulled Pepper into a hug. “We can only do what we can. The Cradle’s technology… we’ve tried to use it on the burns but its having no effect on healing the damage to his shoulder, upper chest and back, and neck and face. Even when he wakes he will need reconstructive surgery.” She pulled back and Pepper wiped her eyes with a tissue. 

“He’s got a long way to go. Waking him up now will be detrimental to his recovery,” continued Shuri. “Believe me, we would love to wake him, but keeping him in a coma is allowing us to preserve his life and continue every method of treatment we can think of.” 

“How long until he can wake up?” asked Pepper. She needed to know otherwise Morgan would keep on pressuring her. She couldn’t keep Morgan away from her father for too long.

“We need to be sure his body isn’t failing from radiation poisoning. We are taking blood tests every hour to see how his system is functioning. The chest surgery needs to be carried out first too. He needs to be more stable before we even consider further surgery. Ideally, we would also like to treat the burns on his face and neck too. There is only so much we can do…” answered Dr L’arlson. 

Pepper shook her head. “I wasn’t asking for more details. I want to know how long, how many days… weeks… months will it take before he can wake up!” 

“If all goes well, another two to four weeks,” answered Shuri quietly. 

Pepper gaped. “Another four weeks?” 

“He was critically injured. If we wake him up too soon it could cause a complete system failure. We have to be sure he will live if we wake him up,” explained Dr Cho. “If we could do more, we would.” 

Pepper sniffed and tried to smile but failed miserably. “I know you are trying your best. I just…” She reached up and brushed hair out of Tony’s face. “I wish he knew… I wish I could see his eyes again… Hear his voice… I love him so much… It hurts to see him like this, knowing what he did… Tony needs me but Morgan does as well. I can’t be the absent mother to her…” 

Shuri leaned forward. “Bring her here. We can make him presentable to her so he doesn’t scare her.” 

“No,” Pepper shook her head. “A four-year-old child shouldn’t have to see their father like this. Morgan adores Tony… I’m pretty sure he is her favourite,” she laughed sadly. Tony and Morgan had always shared a special bond. Tony had spent all of Morgan’s life looking after her, being the stay-at-home husband whilst Pepper worked part-time after her maternity leave. The bond between Tony and Morgan was special. 

For Morgan, Tony was her superhero but he was also her dad. To see him so broken… No, she couldn’t ruin the illusion Morgan carried of her father. 

“I’ll go and back and forth every few days,” decided Pepper. 

As much as she wanted to stay with Tony, their daughter was equally as important to her as Tony was. He’d want her to look after Morgan. 

“If anything changes we’ll let you know,” reassured Helen. 

“Thank you, for everything,” replied Pepper. “I’m grateful for everything you are doing.” 

Later that night, Pepper made the decision to return to Morgan. Tony didn’t know she was there and there was only so much Pepper could do sitting by his side. She needed to return to some normalcy. They kept giving her updates every few hours as per her request. 

It was three long, painful days later when Pepper got the call she had been dreading.

Tony’s heart had stopped.

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! 
> 
> Sorry for the cliff-hanger!
> 
> The Regeneration cradle wasn't about to heal everything. I didn't want to use it as a get-out clause to make him 100% well. 
> 
> I did a bit of research on gamma radiation and, yeah, that alone would have killed Tony, so I imagine he would be faced with a lot of problems. 
> 
> The next chapter will be posted next weekend!
> 
> the-writer1988


	5. Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger last chapter... This one doesn't have a cliffhanger. 
> 
> It is a shorter chapter this time but I'll make up for it with the next chapter :)

When Pepper returned to Wakanda she was alarmed to learn Tony was currently in surgery and she would not be able to see him. Shuri was waiting for her, looking anxious. 

“What happened? Why did his heart stop?” 

“The repairs we carried out on his aorta melted.” 

“Melted? How?”

Shuri shook her head. “We don’t know. We cannot find a cause for it. Mrs Stark… Tony wielded the powers of the universe… It is impossible to understand them. What happened to him… the damage done…” She was almost lost for words, which was unusual for the Wakandan genius. “It’s unpredictable.” 

Pepper swallowed, unable to dignify Shuri’s words with a response. 

“Tony suffered a heart attack. He was bleeding into his chest again from partial dissection of his aorta. At the moment they are carrying out a Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair. This should keep his aorta open. The mesh we are using now is made from vibranium. I hope it will be enough to keep his aorta secure. If it keeps on melting…” 

Pepper nodded. She knew what Shuri was referring to. Tony wouldn’t make it. Would it be worth it prolonging his life? “I don’t want him to die.” 

“Neither of us do,” replied Shuri sadly. “We are trying everything we can.” 

“I’m grateful for it,” smiled Pepper. “I’m just hoping… hoping this ends happily…” 

“I hope so too.” 

\- - - - -

Tony was breathing on his own again, still sedated and the new mesh and stent were holding in his aorta. Every few hours the dressings on his face, neck and what remained of his shoulder were removed and salvo was applied to the burns. His skin would never be the same again but they didn’t want to operate with skin grafts without Tony’s consent. Pepper wanted Tony to have that choice. 

The next few days were hard on Pepper. Tony had his ups and downs, with his heart rate increasing or slowing, meaning they had to adjust the medication he was on, on a regular basis. They couldn’t wake him up until his heart rate had remained stable for a few days. 

The good news Pepper did receive was his body was no longer affected by radiation poisoning. The combination of anti-radiation tablets and antibiotics had successfully treated his condition. At the time of the aortic dissection, Shuri noted Tony had still been fighting off radiation poisoning and it could have been that which had caused the original aortic surgery to fail. His body had been coping with too much in one go. 

Pepper continued to go back and forth between spending time with Tony and Morgan. Both needed her. Thankfully she had a good support network for Morgan. 

One morning, a week after Tony had stopped breathing, Dr L’arlson visited Pepper at Tony’s bedside. He smiled at her as he sat down beside her. 

“We have good news. Tony has made sufficient recovery now to allow us to begin the process of waking him up.” 

“Really? He’ll be okay?” Pepper was surprised but pleased. 

“Yes, as far as we can tell he has remained stable for the last week and a bit since the surgery. Our most recent scans carried out this morning before you arrived, showed us his system is stable. His aorta is working well, with no signs of degeneration. He is breathing on his own. There is no medical reason to keep him asleep now.” Dr L’arlson stepped over to Tony’s side, thumbing closed the drip feeding the drug into Tony that kept him unconscious. 

“How long will he wake up?” asked Pepper. 

“He’s been kept unconscious longer than is recommended. Usually, it is one to two weeks. We’re hitting at three weeks now. He should be fine as all his systems are working perfectly as far as we can tell. It may take a few hours for him to regain consciousness but there could be some movement in the next few minutes. I suspect he will fully wake up after a few hours.” He stepped aside and moved towards the door. “I’m sure you’d like to be left alone. If you need us, we’ll be just down the corridor. Call if you do.” 

Pepper smiled. “Thank you.” She reached forward and grasped Tony’s hand, stroking his skin gently, waiting for him to wake up. 

\- - - - -

There was a light in front of him, a bight one getting brighter as he felt his consciousness move towards it. Was it really his consciousness? Hadn’t he died? He remembered dying… right? 

“…ny.” 

A sound he thought he would never hear again echoed into his ear. 

He struggled to open his eyes, moaning about the bright light that was increasingly getting closer. 

“…ony.” 

He recognised the voice. 

“….” He tried to reply but couldn’t. 

“Tony…” 

He felt a hand on his own as awareness came back to him, as he felt himself be pulled further forward until his eyes opened just a bit. 

Harsh light assaulted his vision and he groaned, twisting his head away from the source of it but finding no relief. 

“Tony… it’s alright…” the voice said again. 

Pepper. 

“Uhhh… Pep….” 

Slowly, he opened his eyes and saw Pepper leaning in close to him, her eyes swimming with tears as she clutched his left hand tightly with her own. 

“Pep…” he said again, his voice harsh and his throat dry. “How….? Where…?” He tried to speak but couldn’t form coherent words. His brain still felt fuzzy and he closed his eyes again, not knowing how long he had them shut before he was opening them up again and found it was easier this time. 

The first thing he saw was Pepper’s tear-stained, but beautiful face, as she gripped his left hand tighter. 

“Why…. you… cry….ing?” he managed. 

“Because you’re alive, Tony.” 

His brain struggled to process that information. “Alive…?” His brain felt foggy and exhaustion came over him. 

“Shh…” Her hand stroked through his hair. “It’s okay. Sleep if you need to…” 

He couldn’t help it. His eyes closed once more. 

\- - - - -

When Tony woke once more Pepper was still there, the tears had long since dried and sitting beside her was Rhodey. 

“Hey…” he muttered softly. 

“Tony…” Pepper smiled. “Welcome back.” 

“What… happened?” He still felt weak. 

“You won, Tones,” answered Rhodey. “You beat him.” 

He remembered attacking Thanos, remembered wrestling with the Gauntlet and the stones transferring to his suit. He remembered the pain that coursed through his body as he attempted to wield them. He remembered the burning and the heat… 

Pepper reached behind her and held out a glass of water for him. There was a straw within it which she placed by his lips. “You need to drink. I suspect you are thirsty.” 

He eagerly sipped the water through the straw, the cool water numbing his sore throat. “Thanks…” He tried to move his right arm but found he couldn’t even feel it. “Erm…” He turned his head ever so slightly to find… “Oh.” 

His arm was gone. 

“Pep… where’s my arm?” 

Pepper exchanged a quick glance with Rhodey. “Tony… I want you to listen to me carefully. When you used the stones they destroyed your arm. We couldn’t save it. It had to be removed.” 

“My eyesight feels fuzzy,” he commented. Vision with his right eye was slightly blurry. 

“The doctors said there might be more effects from using the stones. Your eyesight has been damaged,” explained Pepper quietly. “They did everything they could to save your life…” 

“It’s ok.” With the little strength he had, he squeezed her hand with his left. “I’m glad I’m alive.”

He felt a tear trickle down his face. 

He hadn’t expected to survive. 

He had felt himself dying and yet, here he was, still alive. 

“Thank you…” he whispered. 

And he let the tears fall. 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! 
> 
> Next chapter... Tony reunites with Morgan, Happy, Peter and everybody else... 
> 
> Will be posted next weekend! 
> 
> the-writer1988


	6. Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finally reunites with his daughter and Peter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone... I know its been just over 3 weeks since the last update... I have a good reason. Shortly after posting the last chapter I received notification I had been selected for an interview for a job promotion at work. I really wanted this position and had to put aside writing to be able to revise for it. I had the interview last week and was successful! It was worth it not writing for a few weeks. 
> 
> But I am back now so there should be regular updates. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Tony cried for a long while, mainly in relief at being alive, but the effort of doing so tired him out and he eventually fell back into sleep. Pepper stayed beside him, silent tears falling down her cheeks as she held her husband’s hand, resting her head beside his. 

No one, save for Rhodey and the nurses and doctors caring for Tony, knew he had woken. She needed this time with him before the mad rush of real life came crashing back down. 

When he woke again, there was one question on his mind. “How’s Morgan?” 

“Missing you. She doesn’t know you are awake yet.” 

Tony tried to move but his body was so weak he wasn’t able to. “Wasn’t… Rhodey… here?”

“Only he knows,” answered Pepper quietly. Her eyes were still shimmering with tears. “I’m so glad you are awake, Tony.” 

“I feel like I’ve been run over and crushed several times… Everything… aches…” said Tony quietly. 

“You’ve been in a coma,” explained Pepper. “They kept you asleep.” 

Tony blinked several times. “Oh.” 

He still seemed confused but Pepper had been warned it was a potential side-effect of waking from a coma. Tony had suffered traumatically. His brain was unable to process what had happened to him. 

“When can I see Morgan?” he asked. 

“Soon, I promise,” answered Pepper. “You need to gain your strength, Tony.” She wanted to bring Morgan right now but… No, Tony needed time to recover from waking up. He needed time to come to terms with his injuries. 

Tony’s eyes were closing again. “Pep… Why… am I… not dead?”

His eyes closed as exhaustion overcame him. 

\- - - - -

The next time Tony woke he was more wide awake and appeared to be less confused. He was sitting up in bed with a cup of water beside him. He was periodically drinking from it with Pepper’s help. Whatever the Infinity Stones had done to him, they had drained his energy. He became exhausted very quickly and he had the uncanny feeling his brain was processing things a lot slower than it should be. 

He wasn’t coherent enough to have more things explained to him just yet though he was acutely aware he only had one arm and that was a weird feeling. He did have his appetite back and was slowly eating food though large quantities made him feel sick. 

The door opened and in walked Dr. L’arlson. Tony recognised he had been one of the people responsible for his survival. 

Pepper leaned back in her chair as the Doctor approached. 

“How are you feeling, Tony?” he asked gently.

“Weak,” replied Tony. 

“That is to be expected,” replied the doctor cautiously. “Do you feel strong enough for us to be able to have a chat with you about your injuries and the other damage you have received?” 

“I know my face is scarred.” Tony had asked Pepper for a mirror. She had obliged. It had hurt to see his face scarred and ruined, pink blemishes decorating the skin as his immune system tried to heal over the burnt and damaged skin. “I’m not as handsome as I once was.” 

“Still handsome to me,” said Pepper, squeezing Tony’s hand. 

“You have to say that,” commented Tony. “You’re my wife.”

Pepper laughed quietly and leaned forward and kissed his cheek. 

Dr. L’arlson smiled warmly. “We can do skin grafts –”

“No.” Tony shook his head. “Trying to hide what I did isn’t me. These scars on my face, down my neck… down my right side stay. Let them heal as best they can. They are a reminder of what I did.” 

“We could make the skin smoother –”

Tony shook his head again. “No.” 

“Very well,” said Dr L’arlson. “In the matter of your missing arm. We had to amputate. However, Princess Shuri has offered to create you a new one.” 

Once again Tony shook his head. “It’s nice of her to offer but no thank you. How about my eyesight and hearing? I can barely see out of my right one and I have a faint buzzing sound in the right ear.”

“The damage caused by using the Stones ruptured parts of your optic nerve. We were able to salvage it as best we can but you will eventually lose your sight in your right eye. There isn’t anything we can do to treat it. Your hearing was, again, damaged, but not as severely as your eye. Shuri has a compressor that should elevate your hearing and reduce the buzzing affecting you.” 

“Right.” Tony was beginning to feel tired again. All this information coming at him was wearing him out. “Anything else?” 

“Your aorta was severely damaged. You suffered a heart attack when it partially ruptured and the mesh holding it together was melted. We’ve used vibranium to secure it and the Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair is holding. Our scans show it is working well and should hold.” 

Tony blinked. So he’d nearly died even after they’d attempted to save him. 

“They don’t know why the mesh melted…” said Pepper quietly. “They think it could be something to do with the radiation your body absorbed…” 

Tony shook his head slowly. “It isn’t.”

“You know what caused it?” enquired Dr. L’arlson.

“More of an educated guess,” wheezed Tony. “I’m gonna need a rest soon…”

“I’m sure Dr. L’arlson can return later,” noted Pepper, glancing at the Doctor. 

“I could…”

“No, it's fine…” Tony closed his eyes briefly. “About a decade ago I had a situation with Extremis. It was hushed up in the media due to the metabolism reactions in humans caused it to turn them into living bombs if their cells didn’t accept it. I created a stable version of it… which helped me to reconstruct my chest after I had the shrapnel and the Arc Reactor removed. But I ensured it was still latent within me, to activate when it needed to but only in the direst of circumstances. I never told you, Pep… I’m sorry.” 

Pepper tilted her head to the side. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Tony.” But then she got his meaning. “You mean I still have it?”

He nodded. “Yeah, it’s just dormant. If you got seriously hurt it may give you a chance of survival…”

“But when you were dying it didn’t activate…” whispered Pepper. 

“It was activated. It was burning me up, trying to counteract the energy of the Infinity Stones. It couldn’t heal me as it was fighting against radiation poisoning.”

“And this Extremis attacked the mesh?” guessed Dr. L’arlson thoughtfully. 

“Probably. It recognised it as a foreign invader and melted it.”

“But…” Pepper frowned. “If it melted your aorta why hasn’t it repaired the damage to it to avoid the use of a mesh or even attacked the new one or the burns damage to your face and body?” 

“Extremis can learn…” answered Tony quietly. “It recognised burning the mesh again would give it no time to heal me for me to survive. It won’t touch it again. It knows what it is doing to keep me alive. The scars? They’re not life-threatening. It won’t heal them unless I give them specific coded instructions to do so. Same with the arm. It won’t grow it back unless I tell it too.”

“Are you going to do it?”

Tony was silent. “I’m not sure I really want to.”

“You don’t want to heal yourself?” gasped Dr. L’arlson. “You have the means to make a complete recovery and you won’t do it?” 

“Programming Extremis is complicated…” Tony hesitated. “It isn’t easy… And I refuse to allow anyone else near it.” 

“Tony…” Pepper swallowed, grasping his hand. “Are you sure you want to throw away your chance to be fully healed?” 

“I can’t keep doing this, Pepper…” he answered. 

“Tony,” she asked quietly. “What are you afraid of?” 

He closed his eyes. “I’m afraid of being pulled back in if I make a complete recovery… We’d retired, Pep… Moved on… and they still came for me.” 

“Oh.” She knew what he meant. This wouldn’t have happened if Steve and the others hadn’t sought out Tony’s help. “Tony…” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dr. L’arlson leave the room. This was a conversation the doctor didn’t need to be a part of. “I urged you to go. I gave you permission. Everyone who died is back and it is because you figured out time travel. I let you go. I could have stopped you. I think… if I had asked you to stay, you would have. We both knew the morning you left that there was a high chance you wouldn’t return.” 

Tony turned his scarred face away. 

“You want to help others but there are other ways of doing so other than fighting to protect them. Tony… I don’t care if you have one arm or eyesight in one eye. I love you for who you are.”

“I don’t deserve you…” he whispered. 

“You do, Tony, you do.” She kissed him on the cheek, gently stroking his hair. “Do what you think is best. It doesn’t matter to me.”

When she moved away, Tony had already fallen asleep.

\- - - - -

With Tony once again asleep, Pepper decided to take a trip back home to see the others. She knew she couldn’t keep Morgan from Tony any longer. He was awake now and it wasn’t fair to keep them separated. If Tony decided to not heal himself, Morgan would have to get used to her father’s appearance. He was healed enough now that his scars shouldn’t terrify her. 

Morgan was thrilled about going to see her dad. She’d missed him. Morgan and Tony had always been close… Whilst Pepper had kept Stark Industries running over the years, Tony had been the stay-at-home dad, being there for Morgan whenever she needed him. He adored her. 

Pepper also informed Steve and the others that Tony was awake but requested they give them a day to themselves before they saw Tony. Pepper didn’t want to overwhelm Tony too much. She even contacted Peter who was back with his Aunt May in Queens and said he could visit in a few hours, providing his Aunt allowed him. 

She held her daughter’s hand as they walked through Strange’s makeshift portal. The wizard had no need to really be in Wakanda now that Tony was healed however he refused to leave until Tony had been discharged. He knew Pepper would keep on calling on him to transport them everywhere. 

Morgan huddled by her mother’s side as they stepped into the clean hallways of the Wakandan Royal Palace. Tony had been moved from his hospital room and was now in a comfy bedroom, courtesy of T’Challa. He was healed enough he didn’t need to be attached to any machines, therefore there was no need to keep him in a hospital environment. 

Tony would have preferred to have returned home however he hadn’t been cleared yet and Pepper suspected it would be another few days yet. 

“Is daddy going to be alright?” Morgan asked tentatively. 

Pepper stopped and knelt down in front of her daughter. “He is, sweetheart. Remember what I told you. He will not look the same. But he is coming home.” 

Morgan nodded, not really understanding. She was only just four years old but she was smart. 

Pepper led her down the hallway, turned right and then stopped in front of a door which was partially opened. A cool breeze swept through the door and Pepper pushed it further open. 

Tony was sitting up in bed, using his left knee to rest a portable screen on his lap and with his left hand to scroll through the contents on the screen. His left side was facing the door so Morgan was unable to see the damage done to his right side or his missing arm. 

“DADDY!” Morgan shouted, pulled from her mother’s grasp and flung herself towards Tony’s bed. 

He turned his head and a broad smile spread across his face. “Morgan.” 

Morgan’s eyes caught sight of Tony’s scarred face and she slowed, stopping to stand at the edge of the bed. “Daddy?” 

“Hey…” he smiled down at her. 

“You have an owie.” She climbed up onto the bed and reached out and touched Tony’s right cheek. 

“I have several owies,” he said.   
Her head tilted to the side and then she lunged for him, wrapping her small arms around his neck and snuggling up next to him. “You’re still my daddy.” 

Pepper watched from the doorframe, eyes shimmering with tears at Morgan’s easy acceptance of Tony’s new look. 

Tony awkwardly wrapped his left arm around Morgan’s body, snuggling his face into her hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. 

Morgan’s tiny hand scrunched into his clothes and then she sat up, eyes peering at his right shoulder where his arm had once sat. “Will it grow back?” 

Pepper couldn’t help but laugh at Morgan’s innocent question. Of course with Extremis it was very possible but it was whether Tony wanted to do it or not was the question. 

“My arm?” asked Tony. 

“Yes, silly,” pouted Morgan, sounding and looking more and more like her father every day. 

Tony’s eyes briefly found Pepper’s. “I don’t know.” 

“You can still play with me with one arm,” stated Morgan. 

“Of course I can.” 

“Can we play now?” she asked. 

Pepper stepped forward, choosing now to interrupt the reunion. “Daddy still needs to heal first. When he comes home you two can play.” 

Morgan hugged Tony tighter. “Healing hugs. Make you better quicker.”

“They always do.” Tony pressed his lips to his daughter’s cheek. 

It wasn’t long before she fell asleep, snuggled up in the crook of his left arm. 

\- - - - -

A few hours later, Tony received another visitor. 

Peter. 

He came alone. 

Morgan was still sleeping with Tony and Pepper quietly left the room when Peter walked in, shuffling on his feet, looking a bit uncomfortable. 

Tony turned his head and smiled lightly. “Hey, kid.” 

“Mr. Stark… You’re okay...” 

Usually, he’d respond with a sarcastic quip but Tony couldn’t. He didn’t want to. “Yeah. For the most part.” 

“I thought… I thought you were…” Peter swallowed. “A goner.” 

“I did too…” replied Tony quietly. He wanted to hug the kid but Morgan was deeply asleep and he didn’t want to disturb her. Morgan hadn’t been sleeping too well according to Pepper. This was the first time she had slept deeply in a few weeks. 

Peter stumbled over. 

“I’d give you a hug but…” Tony lightly shrugged, indicating the dark head of hair resting against his shoulder. 

“Who… who… is that?” asked Peter. 

“No one told you yet?” Tony was surprised. He was sure Pepper or Happy would have said something, if not them then Rhodey. Unless they wanted him to have the honours… That was probably it. 

Peter shook his head. “No.”

“This little one right here is my daughter, Morgan. I don’t want to wake her.”

“Your daughter?” Peter sounded amazed. “Congratulations, Mr. Stark.” 

Tony frowned. “Please, it’s Tony. No more Mr. Stark.”

“How old is she?” 

“Just turned four two months ago.” Tony ran his fingers down Morgan’s cheek. 

“It’s weird…I felt I was only gone seconds. But it was really five years,” muttered Peter. “People moved on with their lives…. I know some didn’t… but others did and now the world is in chaos because people who died have lost people they cared about because they’ve moved on…” 

Tony bit his bottom lip. “We probably could have reversed time.” 

Peter’s eyes widened. “Then why…” But then his eyes fell on Morgan. “Oh.” 

“Why should people who were born in these last five years suddenly not exist? Do they not deserve every right to live?” asked Tony. “There is no guarantee they will still be born… And, if I’d died out there, Pepper wouldn’t have Morgan. I couldn’t willingly take my own child’s life away. There are so many other people who were born these last five years… We had to make a choice. Perhaps I was selfish…” 

“It was the right choice,” said Peter quietly. 

“Others might disagree…” replied Tony.

Peter frowned. 

“Anyway…” continued Tony. “Let’s not think about that…” A small smile crossed his face. “I’m glad you’re back, kid. Morgan will be pleased to have you back.” 

“Huh?” Peter looked confused. “But I’ve only just met her…” 

Tony chuckled lightly. “She’s been bought up on Spider-Man and Iron Man stories. You’re like the big brother she never had. I could never forget you, kid.” 

Peter’s cheeks flamed red. “Mr. Stark…”

“Tony,” repeated Tony. “You were my motivation to get out there and try and fix what Thanos did.”

It was clear Peter was conflicted. “But if you’d died…” His eyes fell on Morgan’s sleeping form. “She’d be without you.”

“Thankfully that didn’t happen,” swallowed Tony, “but… I’d rest easy knowing everyone I loved was safe. Kid, I didn’t do what I did just for me. I did it for everyone who lost someone. People can begin to heal and move on.”

Peter nodded. “What about you? Are you going back to the Avengers?” 

Tony shook his head. “No. I’m done with Iron Man. For good this time.”

Peter gaped. 

“I think saving the universe gives me a good reason to retire early, kid. Plus, Morgan needs me. I love her too much to keep on throwing myself into dangerous situations.” 

“You’ll be missed, Mr – Tony.” Peter moved his mouth, frowning. “It’s odd saying your name.” 

“You’ll get used to it.” The smile reached Tony’s eyes. “And probably seeing me one armed and scarred too. That’s going to shock the world when they eventually see my injuries.” He laughed then. His laughter jarred Morgan awake and she stretched her small frame and turned bleary eyes towards Peter. 

And then she shot straight up, excitement stretching across her face, her eyes wide with happiness. “SPIDER-MAN!” 

She leaped off the bed and flung herself at Peter. 

She was too quick for him to dodge and she clung to him. “Daddy told me all about you! He has a picture of you in the kitchen!”

Peter’s startled gaze caught Tony’s. “You have a photo of me?”

“It was a reminder of what I had lost,” said Tony quietly. 

“Does she hug for long?” asked Peter as he hugged the little girl back, her arms tight around his waist.

“It varies. You might be here for a few hours,” grinned Tony. 

“Daddy missed you. I missed you too,” said Morgan, her voice muffled against Peter’s clothes.

“But you’ve only just met me,” explained Peter. 

“I know you from daddy’s stories.” Morgan was very insistent. 

Peter raised his gaze to Tony’s, his face pale. “What did you tell her about me?”

Tony grinned, laughing at Peter’s expression on his face. He couldn’t help but tease him. “Everything.” 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! 
> 
> This chapter was supposed to include Steve, Clint, Bruce and Thor's reunion with Tony too. Oh, and Nebula. But it would have made this chapter too long... Those ones will be coming in the next chapter. 
> 
> Tony and Extremis... I considered this very carefully. Tony does have access to Extremis and he does have it in him but it only activates when his life is in imminent danger. He's coded it to only work when he is about to die, but on the battlefield, it was too preoccupied with fighting the radiation poisoning (and failing) so Tony would have still died. Tony could potentially heal himself completely but he isn't sure he wants to. What do you think of Tony's reasoning for not wanting to fully heal himself? 
> 
> Did people like Morgan and Peter's reunion with Tony and their first meeting? 
> 
> More next week... 
> 
> Until then,
> 
> the-writer1988


	7. True Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony reunites with Steve, Clint, Bruce and Nebula...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all, apologies for the lack of update last week.... Updates will probably be every two weeks as chapters are getting longer but I will try to update every week if I can. 
> 
> Enjoy!

After Peter had left Tony continued to rest. He wasn’t feeling as tired but he still felt weak. His appetite was slowly returning. And he still hadn’t gotten out of bed yet. Tony knew he had weakness on his right side. He somehow doubted he would be able to run properly again. He had the feeling he would either have to wear braces like Rhodey had to or use a cane for the rest of his life.

Neither which truly bothered him. He still had his life. When he’d seen Strange raise his finger, Tony had known what he planned would work and that he was about to die. 

But he was still here, still alive. 

He hadn’t expected that. 

It was nice to be surprised for once. 

There was a knock on his door, pulling him out of his thoughts. Looking up he saw Steve standing at the entrance to his room, looking unsure if he would be allowed to enter. 

Tony wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or annoyed that he was here but he nodded his ascent for the man to enter. 

Steve walked forward slowly. “Good to see you awake.” 

“I’m glad to be awake,” replied Tony. 

Steve sat on the chair placed beside Tony’s bed, his eyes sweeping over Tony, taking in the scars on his face and the missing right arm. “Thank you for what you did.” 

Surprise rushed through Tony. He had expected Steve to lecture him on that stunt. Still, the conversation was young… 

“I wish it hadn’t have been you. I feel like I failed you.” 

“We all knew the risks before we embarked on this time-travel idea,” said Tony. “The difference is I was lucky to survive…” He lowered his gaze. “Nat didn’t have that luck. She’s still gone.”

“But we will remember her,” replied Steve. “We won’t forget her.” 

Tony fell silent. It was uncomfortable talking to Steve. Sure they had worked together and Tony wanted to put the past behind him but… He sighed. “We won’t.” There was a part of him that wanted to tell Steve what he really wanted to say. But he’d tried that five years ago and Rogers had barely flinched. 

“Tony?” asked Steve. “Are you alright?” 

Tony turned his gaze towards Steve. “No. Why did you come?”

“To see you,” said Steve.

Tony shook his head. “That’s a lie. You never come to visit me just because you want to. You visit only when you have a reason.” 

“That’s not true,” defended Steve. 

Tony threw him a chagrined look. “Do you want me to make a list?” 

Steve raised his hands. “Tony, I came to see you. Not for anything else.” 

“Then why do you look guilty?” accused Tony. 

Steve sighed. “Why… why do you have to make things difficult? Why can’t you believe I’m here for you?” 

“If you were here for me then you would have shown you cared all those years ago. When I made a target of myself with the Mandarin and then had major surgery did you appear? No! Did you bother to call me about SHIELD being compromised? No. But Clint was warned and so was Bruce. But you didn’t call me. You only came to me when you need something from me! Like my help and my tech to hunt down Hydra bases. And don’t get me started on the Accords again, you know what went down when you abandoned me and left me lying in a pool of my own blood in Siberia. Your half-arsed attempt at an apology letter was more about what you wanted than what was best for the team. You broke this team apart because you couldn’t handle not being in control. When I came back to Earth after being lost in space, all you did was interrogate me. If you cared you would have waited until I’d at least rested! And the last five years, Steve, you dragged me back in, against my better judgment! How many times in those five years did you contact me? None!” 

“You didn’t either, Tony,” replied Steve quietly. 

Tony glared at him. “I think I had more of a reason to not talk to you. A proper apology would have been nice but no you only come to me when you need something. The evidence speaks for itself.” He was feeling tired again but he was determined to see this through. 

“I thought you wanted to bury that resentment,” noted Steve. 

Tony had said that. “I wanted to, for the sake of the team and for the sake of the mission. What you said to me, on my porch, pushed me back in a direction I never wanted to go back to. I wouldn’t be here now in this room if you’d just left me alone. I was happy, I was peaceful… Morgan nearly lost me.”

Steve’s face steeled. “But we bought everyone back.”

“Nearly at the cost of my own life,” retorted Tony. 

“You chose to go for the stones.” 

“If I didn’t, we would all be dead now.” Tony sighed. “So why are you really here?”

“I value your opinion, Tony,” began Steve, “and I wanted to ask your opinion before I left.” 

Tony’s eyebrows crinkled. “Left?” 

“I’ve volunteered to take the stones back to their rightful places in time. And, I thought, I could go back to after the war and… be with Peggy.” 

Tony’s eyes widened. “What? Steve, you’d be creating an alternate reality. It wouldn’t be this reality you’d be living in. We cannot be creating alternate timelines!” 

“Why not? You let Loki escape in 2012, there is already a timeline that has been branched out. We can’t fix that!” accused Steve. 

“I let Loki escape? Really, Rogers? How is it my fault I got clobbered by the Hulk? And you can fix that time-line. Just stun Loki before he can escape, something you can probably do when you return the stone! Stop him from taking it in the first place!” Tony was getting red. Rogers was really riling him up which wasn’t good since he was expanding his energy fast.

And he couldn’t really defend himself whilst he lay in bed. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean – I just…” Steve sighed. “It was the heat of the moment.” 

Tony chose to ignore Steve’s apology. He wasn’t interested. “If you go back in time and create an alternate reality you could cause a rift to the timeline. You’ve got friends and family here who love you.” 

“I love Peggy,” stated Steve. 

“You barely knew her. You’ve built a life here, Steve.”

“I could have a life there with her!” retorted Steve, his voice filled with a touch of anger. 

“After everything that has happened, are you really going to abandon everybody?” Tony’s face was stone-cold in expression. Steve wanted to abandon everyone. “And what about the public who see you as a hero? What do we say to them?” 

“Tell them I died,” replied Steve easily. “We got attacked and I sacrificed myself.” 

“So you want to lie to millions of people across the planet just so you can run off and be with a girl you barely knew in the past? And you expect me and others to be happy to play along with the lie?”

“I can’t tell them the truth, can I?” asked Steve. “Bucky is ok with it.” 

“Of course he would be. He’s your best friend. He’s incapable of telling you the truth.” Tony rolled his eyes. He couldn’t believe the nerve Steve had. “Steve, if you go back to the past to live with Peggy, I’m not going to protect you. I’m not going to make you into a martyr you’re not.” 

“You’re not the first to say that, Tony,” answered Steve quietly. “Most people I’ve spoken to about this… Bruce, Clint… Rhodey… their reactions are all the same as yours. Only Bucky really understands. I’m a man out of time, Tony. I can’t live here.” 

Anger clouded Tony’s mind. “Don’t bullshit me, Rogers. You’ve got a life here! You’ve known us longer than you ever knew Peggy! She had a husband and kids. How is it your right to take that future away from her just so you can be with her? The Peggy you go back to will not be your Peggy. You’ll be in an alternate timeline. Steve… if you are looking for my permission or my acceptance, you don’t have it. You are running away from people that need you, from a world that needs you!” 

“What about you?” replied Steve. “The world needs you too. How could you retire?”

Tony was flabbergasted. “Do you mean retire now or that I retired for the last five years? If you haven’t bloody noticed, Rogers, I nearly died. I’ve lost an arm! I’m… And Pepper wonders why I am throwing away the chance to heal myself! Because you think I should stay out there and keep on fighting. Fuck my family Rogers, right? You get Peggy and a lifetime of retirement and I’m not allowed to because the world needs me? You can’t have your peaceful retirement if I can’t have mine!” If Tony could have he would have folded his arms across his chest but he lacked one arm. “You cannot take credit for something you didn’t do. If you want to run away to the past, to a society that is far less progressed, but is probably more in keeping with your moralistic values, then do so, but you have to accept that the public deserves to know the truth.” 

Steve sighed and rose from his seat. “I guess I should leave. This conversation isn’t going the way I imagined it to go.” 

Tony’s eyes narrowed. “Well, guess what, life doesn’t go the way we want either. We have to live with the choices we made.”

“Goodbye Tony,” said Steve quietly, “It’s a shame we couldn’t part as friends… I wish you all the best. And,” a small smiled crossed Steve’s face, “and thank you for giving me this chance.” 

“Yeah, well, I don’t thank you!” Tony shouted back and slumped back into the pillows as Steve left the room. He wanted to scream and shout out his frustration but he didn’t have the energy. 

Good riddance. 

\- - - - -

“I hear you shouted at Steve,” said Bruce stepping into Tony’s room. 

Tony glanced up. It was still odd to see Bruce in Hulk form. “Selfish bastard thinks he deserves to retire but I don’t.” 

“I’m sure Steve didn’t mean it that way,” said Clint, stepping in behind Bruce. “We’re pissed too.”

“If he didn’t, he needs to figure out a way to talk to people,” replied Tony bitterly. “Can we not talk about him?”

“Sure.” Clint pulled up a chair. “How are you feeling?”

“Alive and armless,” replied Tony. “And I barely have sight in my right eye.”

“Better than not surviving at all,” said Bruce. His own arm was still in a sling. “I doubt my own arm will ever be the same again.”

Tony grimaced. He glanced sideways at his right shoulder. It was still odd to see nothing there. “I hope you find a way to get movement in it again, Bruce.” He glanced at Clint. “How is the family? I’m surprised you’re here with me than with them.” 

Clint shrugged. “They’re good. Adjusting to the idea they’ve been gone for five years when for them no time passed at all. I have been with them whilst you’ve been sleeping. I stayed for a few days then left to see you, returning by portal.”

“I bet Strange is happy he’s a bus service,” smirked Tony. 

“He seems keen to help when he can,” explained Bruce. “He’s been in Wakanda since the battle, only popping to other places to bring people to and fro.”

Tony wondered why Strange was bothering to hang around. He hadn’t really seen the wizard since he’d returned to consciousness. He did want to see the wizard so he hoped Strange would come and see him. If not, once he was able to, Tony would seek him out.

“How long do you think you’ll be here for?” asked Clint. 

Tony frowned. He and Clint hadn’t really gotten along much in the past. “I’m a bit concerned you are showing so much worry for me.” He still remembered Clint’s words to him at the Raft. They’d hurt.

“I was an idiot. I told Laura about it… about the Raft. She agreed with you. Agreed with the Accords. It made me realise that I was on the wrong side. You were just trying to keep us together…” 

“We should have been together at the start of this. We may not have had to live these last five years,” replied Tony quietly. But if he hadn’t, would Morgan still exist? She was precious to him; his little girl, the light of his life. 

“We can’t change it now,” said Bruce. “We were right not to reverse time. We’ve changed in the time that has passed. So have other survivors.” 

Tony nodded, thoughtful. 

“You haven’t answered my question yet,” grinned Clint. “How long will you be here for?” 

Tony shrugged with his left arm. “Don’t know. Until I’m able to walk I suppose. I haven’t got out of bed yet… I need physio… I think I’ll be here for a while unless my treatment can be moved back home. I’ve only been awake just over a day.” 

“When you do, let us know,” said Clint. “You, Pepper, Morgan can come to the farm to meet Laura and the kids. I was thinking of holding a memorial for Nat there. My farm was a second home to her… a place for her to not be the Black Widow…” 

“That’ll be nice,” said Tony. “How are the kids taking her… death?” He was hesitant to say the word. 

“They’re upset… They were really fond of her… but they know they came back because of her sacrifice,” explained Clint sadly. “She was an Aunt to them.” 

“We’ll make sure the world knows the role she played,” promised Tony. “We shouldn’t hide the truth from the public.” He chewed his bottom lip. “That’s why I was against telling the world Steve has died when he hasn’t. We need him here… He thinks I should continue being a superhero.” He frowned. “Question for you two. If you had the means to potentially make a complete recovery but were afraid of being dragged back in to fight, would you put off healing yourself so you wouldn’t be called back in?” 

“Tony…” Bruce breathed. “Can you heal yourself because if you can that’s great news!” 

“You shouldn’t have to fight if you don’t want to,” said Clint. “You’ve done more than enough to earn a right to retire and live peacefully.” 

Tony smiled sadly. It was nice Bruce and Clint believed he had the right. It made his decision whether to heal himself fully easier to decide. “Do you remember the incident with Extremis?” 

“Yeah… vaguely…” Bruce frowned. “I think you tried to tell me about it…” 

“In which you didn’t really listen,” grinned Tony. 

“The people who were exploding bombs in the making?” clarified Clint. 

“Yeah, that. I could use it on myself, potentially heal myself completely but I’d need to put in a lot of work to do so. Code it to specifically do certain things,” explained Tony carefully. “But I don’t want to be an Avenger anymore. I just want to be with Pepper and Morgan… See my daughter grow up.” 

“Trust us, if someone tries to call you back in, they’ll have to go through us first,” stated Bruce. “You’ve earned the right to retire, Tony. You nearly lost your life. You’ve given more than enough.” 

“And there are plenty of others who can step up to the plate and be an Avenger now,” added Clint. “There is more than enough.” He leaned forward and patted Tony on his remaining arm. “Take your retirement and heal yourself.” 

Their acceptance of his desire to retire and leave the life of a superhero behind was all Tony needed to make his decision. 

At least some of his team had his back. 

\- - - - -

Thor briefly visited Tony, bringing with him a large keg of ale to drink from Thor’s supplies from New Asgard. Tony secretly had it disposed of since he was sure the ale would be too strong for him to have. He’d mostly gone sober during the last five years, only drinking on the anniversary day of the Decimation. 

Thor explained to Tony he was leaving with the Guardians to go up into space once a vigil had been held for Natasha. Rocket, who had got to know Nat quite well in the last few years, was adamant to honour her memory and wanted to stay for it, meaning his team couldn’t leave Earth just yet. 

Of course, Natasha’s vigil depended on when Tony was well enough to attend and Clint was reluctant to do anything without Tony being there. 

It was two days later, after a physiotherapy exercise session was over, that Tony received another visitor. 

Nebula. 

“How’s my favourite blue?” grinned Tony. 

“Hmm, I see wielding the powers of the universe hasn’t changed you that much.” 

Tony laughed. “Are you insinuating I would allow godly power to go to my head?”

“You could have done anything with those stones,” she pointed out. “You could have remade the universe in your own image. But… you didn’t.” Nebula cocked her head to the side. “You intended to give your life so we could all live. I always knew you were special, Tony.” 

“That’s why you put up with me for twenty-two days in space,” retorted Tony quietly, enjoying the banter. His physio session earlier had been exhausting. He hadn’t even got out of bed. They were trying to build up his leg muscles to enable him to support himself when he was given the go-ahead to begin walking. It was just disappointing he couldn’t even lift his legs that well without help, which didn’t bode well for his chances of being able to walk once he was cleared to do so.

“I’m glad I did. You taught me things I will never be able to forget. How to have… fun.” 

Tony smiled broadly. “Those were good days…” he murmured. His time lost in space with Nebula had been horrible and traumatising but being able to bond with her had helped a lot in keeping himself sane in the horrible circumstances they had found themselves in. He’d enjoyed teaching her new things. “I don’t think you have enough fun, blue.” 

“Hurry up and get out of bed so you can teach me more,” indicated Nebula. 

“I would if I could.” He ran a hand down his right leg. “I may have survived but I am not completely intact.” 

“Better than being dead.” 

Tony grimaced. He’d rather be alive than dead but the long term effects of using the Infinity Stones were still to be discovered. Using them had nearly killed him. He’d been lucky. 

“You’re a hero, you know,” she said quietly. “The whole world is celebrating you. All wishing for you to make a recovery.” 

Tony swallowed. “At least the world cares…” He’d never thought the world would. He’d caused too much shit in his own mind to believe the world would miss him if he died. Their reaction to his near-death was heart-warming. “Hopefully within a week, I will be able to start trying to stand. I can’t wait to get out of this bed.” 

“How are Morgan and Pepper?”

“Wanting me to come home,” replied Tony. Pepper was trying to get the doctors to release him, to allow him to go home. He was sure he would recover better in familiar surroundings. 

“Just tell me who I need to kill to get them to let you leave,” stated Nebula. 

Tony studied her expression carefully. He wasn’t sure if she was being serious or not. She was difficult to read but he had got to know her over the years. “Maybe not kill…. Threaten, yes. But, don’t worry about it. If they don’t give me the go-ahead to leave in the next seven days I’m discharging myself.” He’d already discussed it with Pepper. They both knew Tony felt well enough to leave. He was stable, eating and drinking and the only obstacle preventing Tony from being discharged were that he hadn’t walked yet. He could understand the precautions but he could easily carry on his exercises at home. 

“I could threaten them now… You’d be home in the next hour.” 

“Always looking out for me…” smiled Tony. 

Nebula’s lips twitched. “We’re friends.” 

“If there is one thing I never thought would ever happen to me…” he started. 

Nebula cocked her head to the side. “What?” 

“That I would count someone from outer space to be one of my best friends and someone I could trust with my life…” 

Nebula twitched. “Not many people would trust me with their life…” 

“I’d trust you with mine, Morgan and Pepper’s safety any day. You and Rhodey… Thank you. I’ll miss you blue when you leave.” 

“I’ll stay in touch.” 

“You better,” laughed Tony. “I don’t want you to forget about me.” 

“It’s impossible to forget about you, Stark. And from what Danvers has reported the universe will never forget you.” 

Tony’s eyebrows crinkled. “What do you mean?” 

“You’re the Thanos slayer, Stark. You’re not just a hero on a global scale, but on a universal scale.” 

Tony could only stare at her in surprise. “Really?” 

Nebula’s lips twitched up in a smile. “Yes. Really.”

Tony couldn’t believe it. “Wow.” 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! 
> 
> I didn't like Steve's ending in Endgame. It smacks of betrayal and selfishness. Steve built a life with the Avengers and threw it all away for the sake of a woman he barely knew, so naturally Tony is angry about it, as are Clint and Bruce. The difference is that they are all aware of Steve's plans prior to him leaving and he's discovered not many people are pleased with the idea of him going back to the past. Plus, Steve expects Tony to carry on fighting whilst he gets to live his happy, undeserved, retirement. 
> 
> Yeah, I'm bitter about Steve's ending and I wish the general public in the MCU knew the truth of what Steve did at the end of Endgame because I don't think the majority of people would be happy about it. 
> 
> I love Tony and Nebula's friendship and wanted to expand more on that. 
> 
> Plus, Tony is not just Earth's hero, he is the universe's hero. 
> 
> Next update hopefully next week but will likely be in two weeks. 
> 
> Until next time,
> 
> the-writer1988


	8. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony returns home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I surprised myself by finishing this chapter! And it has only taken a week! We are coming to the end of this fic but I have a few more things I want to cover before I draw this to a close. Tony isn't fully recovered yet either.

Tony was cleared to walk two days later much to his delight. But since he hadn’t used his legs in a long time he still needed to take it slowly. Pepper was there for him. They’d been told his right leg had a weakness to it now and that it was likely Tony would need a cane for the rest of his life. 

The Infinity Stones had caused catastrophic damage to his nerves.

Tony was still considering Extremis but he wanted to get home first. It would take weeks of work before he’d be able to see if the Extremis solution would work. And if he had to be disabled for a while so be it. He just wanted to be home. 

He found he was dragging his right leg along behind him. He’d had to rely solely on his left leg to help keep his balance and pull himself along. It was the only way he would be able to walk unaided. 

After his third session with the physiotherapist, Dr L’arlson greeted him in his room. He was holding a clipboard and smiling lightly. 

“I have good news for you, Tony.”

“I can go home?” 

The doctor nodded. “You can tomorrow.” 

“Why not today?” 

“We want to carry out one last full body scan before we discharge you. Scheduled maintenance is being carried out on the scanner today and once the results are through you will be free to leave.” 

Tony sighed. “One more night here…” 

“Think of it this way, tomorrow night you will be in your own bed.” 

For Tony, that day couldn’t come fast enough. 

\- - - - -

Doctor Strange arrived in the evening the following day with Pepper by his side. He was going to portal them home. Tony’s scan results had come out fine. His body was healing well and the new mesh in Tony’s aorta was remaining stable, allowing them to feel confident that Tony was completely out of the danger zone. He would, however, require regular scans.

“Before I return you both home, I’d like to talk to you,” said Strange quietly. 

Tony exchanged glances with Pepper. “Okay.” He hadn’t had many dealings with Strange since he had woken. The wizard, as Tony preferred to refer to him by, had kept his distance. 

“I want to apologise,” began Strange, clasping his trembling hands together. 

“What for?” asked Tony though he had an inkling what this was about. 

Strange shifted his gaze from Tony to Pepper and then back to Tony. “It is my fault I put you through this. Tony… The future I saw… The future I made sure happened by sparing your life on that planet all happened because of me. I saw all of this coming. But… at the end of what I saw…” He swallowed. “You died. You weren’t saved. Everything I set in motion, to ensure we were on the one winning path, was meant to lead to your death. You were not supposed to live. I saw… I attended your funeral. I saw far enough to know the world mourned you. But I knew I couldn’t change it.”

Tony licked his lips. “Yet I’m alive.”

“Only because I tried to change one little thing in the hope you would live. You only lived because I froze your body at the moment of your death, preventing your soul from leaving and moving on. From the moment I saw your future, what you would sacrifice to ensure Thanos lost, I knew I had to try something. I didn’t know if it would work.”

Pepper squeezed Tony’s hand. “We were lucky. Very lucky.” 

“Yeah.” Tony stood from his chair with help from Pepper, feeling a bit shaky on his legs. “And you saved me from being murdered because it would ruin your one winning future.” 

Strange inclined his head. “I cannot express how sorry –”

“Shut up,” said Tony. “I understand.” 

Because he did. 

Judging from Pepper’s lack of reaction to the news Strange had effectively set Tony up to die, he figured she must have already had this conversation with the wizard whilst Tony was in his coma. 

He’d always had a suspicion in his head that there was more to Strange bargaining for his life. 

Not that Tony would have thought that meant he’d go on to wield the six most powerful objects in the universe but also be the one to rid the universe of Thanos. The mere existence of Thanos, even as a nameless shadow, had haunted Tony for years. 

And now he was gone. 

Gone for good because Tony had killed him. 

“When you raised your finger at me I knew that was my time. I could have chickened out. But I didn’t. More than anything I wanted the people I loved to live, even if it meant I couldn’t be a part of it. Yet you saved me, going against what you saw.” 

“I couldn’t let you die if I could save you. I disliked you to start with.”

Tony smirked. “Feeling was mutual. Not gonna lie about that.” But then he sobered. “What changed your mind?”

“When I saw you take the Infinity Stones and use them to end Thanos for good, giving your life in the process. I knew I had misjudged you. You have a façade you show the public, but for those that are truly close to you, they get to know the real you. I saw millions of futures, each one I saw you were at the centre of each, though a lot did branch off when I allowed Thanos to kill you… But your death was always felt. I realised you were the key piece. But there was only one where you survived long enough to willingly give your life so everyone else could live. That was the future I set us upon. But…” 

“You didn’t want me to die,” said Tony quietly. 

Strange inclined his head. “When I was dragged back to the present after viewing the winning scenario and I saw you… It was hard knowing I’d just witnessed your death. I knew you’d return to Earth a broken man. I knew you would pull back from public life and live quietly with Pepper and…” Strange hesitated, “and Morgan. I saw how happy and content you were. I didn’t want to take you away from them.” 

Pepper cleared her throat. “You must have done something different from the future you saw, a slight change which didn’t impact the winning timeline. If you didn’t freeze Tony in the winning timeline, you changed something else. What was it?” 

Strange hesitated. “I told Wong when I contacted him to gather everyone together, to come to relieve me if there was another snap. He did, freeing me to help preserve your life. In the future I saw, I didn’t ask Wong to do that. With the foreknowledge of what was to come, I had very limited options.” 

“And then you froze me in time, holding my spirit in my body,” clarified Tony. “Neat trick doing that. How long did you keep me frozen for?” 

“Only until your body was stable enough that it could continue to support life. It took a good few hours before I was able to unfreeze you. The worry I had was your spirit still leaving despite my work. But you didn’t. You stayed.”

“Because I didn’t really want to die,” said Tony quietly. “I could have let go before anyone found me.” He started to shake, his memory casting back to the moments after the snap, where his whole body hurt, where he felt his cells being torn apart with intense heat and how he could feel his life slipping away from him with each struggling breath. He would never forget that. 

“Tony?” A gentle hand laid on his shoulder. “Tony?” Pepper’s soft voice broke through the haze. 

“S’ry…” he murmured. “Just…” he swallowed. 

Strange cast him a solemn look. “He’s remembering what it felt like to die.” 

“It’s alright, Tony,” said Pepper quietly. “You’re alive. You’re safe.” She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug. 

He returned the hug, pulling his wife close. Glancing at Strange, he said quietly: “Thank you for saving my life. If there is anything -”

Strange raised his hand. “Stop right there, Stark. There is nothing that I want from you. You already did the whole universe a favour. I merely returned the universes gratitude by saving your life.” 

A genuine smile crossed Tony’s face. He could have tried to push it but he knew when to stop. Being a father had helped him mellow over the years. His daughter’s innocent face appeared in his mind. He couldn’t wait to see her.

“Come on… Let’s go home.” 

\- - - - -

Morgan was thrilled to have her father back home. So happy she was she refused to go to sleep, wanting to stay with her daddy all night. That night Morgan and Tony slept on the sofa in the living room as Tony was still too weak to climb stairs whilst Pepper curled up in the armchair. Neither of them wanted to be apart from one another. 

The next day Tony took it slow. He tried to make it up the stairs as he did want to sleep in his own bed that night. It took a while to make it up there, holding the bannister and dragging his right leg up but he managed it, though it tired him out afterward. 

He stayed in Morgan’s room playing games with her whilst Pepper carried out little jobs around the house, adjusting things that would help Tony get around easier. 

It was later in the day when Rhodey and Happy arrived to see them, a little gathering Pepper had arranged to celebrate Tony’s welcome home. 

Happy bought cheeseburgers. 

Naturally, Tony and Morgan were the ones who ate the most. 

Whilst Pepper helped Morgan have a bath and get ready for bed, Tony sat with Rhodey and Happy in his bedroom, his two close friends having helped him get back up the stairs and to his bed. It was a lot easier to descend them then ascend them. 

“How are you feeling?” asked Rhodey. 

“Like an invalid,” said Tony quietly. “Thanks for the help.” He leaned back in the pillows, using his left hand to pull the covers up. “It’s good to be home.” He closed his eyes briefly. “So… tell me, how is the world coping?”

“It’s getting there,” admitted Rhodey. “Things are slipping back into place. Those that have been lost there homes because they were missing have to find new housing. Some do not like that they’ve lost their homes…” 

“But is it fair the people who have lived there for the last five years be forced to move out?” inquired Tony. “I’m going to donate a large sum of money to a trust fund for people who require urgent housing. I hear a lot of new housing is being developed.” 

“It is. Pepper has already been diverting funds from the foundation to several charities,” explained Happy. 

“Good.” 

Then a thought struck Tony. “What about Peter and his Aunt? Both vanished… They’ve lost their home too.” 

“Pepper already set them up,” smiled Happy. “A nice apartment in Queens. She purchased it just after you left to go to the Compound.”

“But that was before we got all the stones…” remembered Tony. 

“She guessed,” explained Happy. “May and Peter have been living there since they both returned. Pepper was going to invite them over today but I think she wanted it to be just us. The original Stark team, you know?” 

“It seems apt for it to be just us,” replied Tony. “What about the stones? Have they been returned yet?” 

Rhodey shook his head. “Not yet. Rogers is doing it but he wants to say goodbye to Nat first before he leaves. Now you’re home we can do that.” 

“It doesn’t seem fair my life was saved and hers wasn’t.” 

“If there was a way to bring her back I’m sure we all would,” replied Rhodey quietly.

Tony’s lips twitched. “It should have been her over me.” He brushed his hand over his eyes, sighing quietly. “But I can’t change it.”

“And I think Pepper would kill you if you tried,” added Rhodey. 

“Don’t worry; I’m not messing with time again. Those plans for time travel are being deleted. Any records of it Friday will delete at my command. The knowledge of it will die with me. Time travel is too dangerous for the technology to remain in existence. As soon as the stones have been returned…” He didn’t need to say what would happen. The gist was there. 

“Daddy!” Morgan rushed into the room, clambered up onto the bed and flung herself at Tony’s chest. “Bedtime story, please.” 

“Oof, I think daddy is a bit tired for a story…” Tony reached up with his hand and brushed the hair out of his daughter’s face. 

Morgan pouted. 

Rhodey laughed. “Oh god, she’s definitely your daughter with that look, Tones!” 

Tony threw him a dirty look. “How about uncle Rhodey tells you a story about the time he and daddy went to a Christmas Party and helped in stopping the building from collapsing?” 

Morgan turned bright eyes on Rhodey, clambered off her dad and rushed over to the other Avenger. “I want to hear that story!” 

Rhodey glared at Tony. “You had to do that, didn’t you?” he asked as he stood from his chair and hauled Morgan into his arms. “I’ll do this once, just once, you know?” 

“Thanks, platypus!” called out Tony as Rhodey left the room to put Morgan to bed. 

“And I was going to leave her in this bed tonight…” said Pepper as she walked into the bedroom. 

Tony shrugged. “Platypus is on it. You and I…” he wiggled his eyebrows. 

Happy, still sitting at the end of the bed, shook his head in despair. 

“Much as I would love to celebrate your return home, Tony, I think you need to recover a bit more before we try anything of that sort in the bedroom,” broke Pepper gently. 

“Worth a try,” grinned Tony. He patted the space beside him. “I could probably sleep now.” 

Happy rose quickly from his chair. “I think I should go and check on Rhodey… Make sure Morgan isn’t keeping him longer than she should…” 

Pepper leaned in to kiss Tony on the cheek. “Tell Morgan I’ll be in to say goodnight in a minute.” 

“Will do,” affirmed Happy. “I’ll drop by again tomorrow. If you want me to do any shopping…”

“Thank you, Happy,” said Pepper. 

Once Happy and Rhodey had left, Pepper secured the house, setting the perimeter alarms and climbed back into bed. 

Tony lay on his back, his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling softly. He always slept on the left side of the bed so he could wrap his right arm around her but now he couldn’t. However Tony had already compensated for that by switching sides so he was now on the right side of the bed. 

That was such a Tony thing to do. 

Tony stirred only slightly as she pulled the covers up and snuggled up close to him, resting her head on his chest. His left arm moved sleepily to wrap around her shoulders and she flung one arm across his chest before she rested her head on his shoulder. 

Tony murmured into her hair. “Goodnight…” 

“Goodnight, Tony,” she said softly back. She glanced up at him. “I’m glad you’re home.” 

Tony only muttered in his haze. “Me too… me too, Pep.” 

And they fell asleep together in their bed for the first time since Tony had left their house to take his time-travel invention to the Avengers. 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! 
> 
> I felt showing Tony getting back on his feet wouldn't really push the story forward so I decided to just talk about it and move this fic forward to the point where Tony was finally leaving to go home. 
> 
> Doctor Strange still feels guilty over sending Tony to his death (although he did make one slight alteration to ensure he could freeze Tony in time to stop him from dying). And I hope this is something which is covered in the MCU going forward since Kevin Feige has said that Tony's death will continue to be felt in the MCU going forward. But it is an important point, that despite Tony surviving in this fic, Strange will still feel guilty for essentially setting Tony up to die. 
> 
> Next chapter... Nat's funeral, Tony sets to work on Extremis and Pepper makes a press statement.... 
> 
> I hope to post next week but may not, depending on how quickly I get the chapter done. 
> 
> Until next time,
> 
> the-writer1988


	9. The Funeral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers hold a funeral for Natasha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Natasha's funeral was hard which was why I couldn't update last weekend. It has taken me a while to write the speeches. I would like to thank doodlegirl1998 for their help with some of the speeches!

A few days later Natasha’s funeral was held at the Barton farm. Tony was still recovering but made the journey to the farm with Pepper and Morgan. Tony bought with him his crutches, refusing the wheelchair that had been offered to him. He did, however, call in Doctor Strange to portal him and his family to the Barton farm. 

Most of the Avengers were attending Natasha’s funeral. Only a few weren’t, mainly because they hadn’t really known her. Doctor Strange did not stay after dropping Tony and his family off. Peter Parker was not present either for he had not really met Natasha. He’d fought on the same side as her during the Civil War at the airport but other than that they hadn’t had any other interactions. 

Tony, Bruce, Thor, Clint, and Steve all sat in front row seats. Pepper was behind Tony with Morgan at her side. On the other side of the aisle was Clint’s wife and three children. Then in the rows behind the two front ones was a small section of seats where the rest of the Avengers sat. Behind the rest of the Avengers sat Nick Fury and Maria Hill, alongside Carol Danvers who had formed a friendship with Natasha during the last five years. 

Behind them was a section of people from SHIELD who Natasha had worked with and grown close to over the years. 

It was a breezy but warm day.

Clint had chosen to hold the funeral outside in one of his family’s fields. Natasha had always loved the outdoors when she had visited. It seemed only right to say goodbye to her outside. 

There wasn't a body to bury, only memories. 

Out of all of the Avengers, only Nat had really kept in touch with Tony. It hadn’t been often but she’d still known about Morgan. Not many people had. She’d always bought Morgan presents every year. If Tony had been on more friendly terms with the Avengers during the last five years, he was sure Morgan would have had family relationships with not just Nat but with Steve and Bruce as well.

Clint stood from his seat and moved to stand in front of the seats facing towards them. He looked nervous but his eyes were red. He’d already been crying. 

“Thank you, everyone, for coming today. I know for some of you it was only a few months ago you were fighting an alien army in Wakanda and the next you were waking up with no knowledge of how much time had passed. It’s been a long five years. Five years since I lost my family… five years in which I isolated myself away from the second family. I know Nat kept looking for me for years…” A single tear slipped down his cheek. “I shouldn’t have avoided Nat for years. I should have made contact… I will always regret not responding to her messages. Nat and I met over a decade ago. I was sent to kill her but I chose a different route.” 

He swallowed visibly. 

“I chose to offer her a choice. To take a different path or to continue down the one she was already on.” Clint paused for dramatic effect. “Nat chose a different path, stepping away from the people who controlled her and becoming an agent of SHIELD. Without SHIELD, Nat would have died years ago.” He paused for a long moment, tears shimmering in his eyes. “But I am so glad that we had the time together with SHIELD and then with the Avengers to grow together and become a family. Nat was more than my best friend, she was a sister to me and her being gone has ripped a hole in my life that I don’t know I can ever fully repair. That day she died, it should have been me. She worked so hard to bring everyone back and she deserved to see the reality. She didn’t deserve to lose her life. I wish… I wish I could thank her for everything she has done.” 

Clint took a deep breath and stepped away from the podium, leaving space for Bruce to step up. His new appearance had once startled his former teammates since the last they had seen of him before they had snapped away in 2018, had been his struggles with the Hulk. Now he was the Hulk permanently. For some of his teammates, it was taking time to get used to it. His damaged arm was no longer in a sling but in a brace, hiding the damage to it. The burns would forever mar his skin and he had regained some movement but the natural strength the Hulk had once had was gone from that arm for good. 

Bruce clasped the wood of the podium with his left hand. His eyes reflected sadness. “I really don’t know what to say at funerals, especially not at one that I never expected to attend. Nat always seemed so invincible, so powerful despite being one of the few unenhanced humans on our team. She was… she was amazing and someone I consider to be the love of my life. She is – was…” he corrected painfully with a deeply strained voice, “beautiful inside and out and I wish she knew that. I’ll miss her more than words can say… We should be here today celebrating winning, not mourning the loss of a core member of our team. Nat was truly amazing and special…” 

Bruce’s shoulders began to shake and he moved away from the podium. 

Pepper helped Tony rise from his chair and escorted him to the podium where Tony stood in front of it, his remaining hand on the crutch to hold him upright. Tony cleared his throat. He had pondered for hours over what to say. Now it came to it he knew his words had to come from the heart. “Nat was an old soul. I knew that from the moment I met her despite not knowing her real name. She had a chameleon-like ability to completely change herself and make you see what you wanted to. I was awed by that and wanted to know more. I guess that was what I was sensing when I met her and why I wanted to know more about Natasha.” Tony paused reflectively. “I don’t think I ever knew Natasha to the extent Bruce or Clint did. But what I did know was that underneath her stoic nature, she had a deep, strong loyalty to those she considered friends and respect to those who she saw as similar to herself. Despite what others thought of me, Nat did give me the time of day and when Morgan was born, she was one of the only people who knew of her. Nat didn’t visit often but when she did she was a loving and attentive aunt. Nat will be missed – by the world and by us. We will not let them forget.” 

Gingerly, Pepper helped Tony back to his seat. 

Thor stood next. His appearance had startled the other Avengers when they had returned. Thor’s new physique had startled them all. However, now that everyone was back, Thor was slowly starting to lose the pounds he had put on, though keeping him away from a beer tank was proving to be quite challenging. 

Thor had attempted to dress smartly for the occasion though he still wore crocs. He leaned against the podium, eyes casting across the audience. “To Natasha, the best warrior Midgard has ever known! For every drink I have from now on, it will be in her memory of what she had to sacrifice to bring everyone back. It isn’t fair we had to lose her. She was the heart of the Avengers!” 

Thor wasn’t big on words and he promptly sat back down leaving Steve to walk up to the podium and place his hands on either side of it. He had already been crying as his eyes were rimmed red. 

“Natasha was one of my best friends. She was a core member of the Avengers. We went on many missions together, not just as Avengers but as a small unit within SHIELD. Nat was my anchor. She helped me understand how to live in this new world. Nat understood what it felt like to be an outsider. Nat wasn’t just a formidable warrior, she was a true friend. She was there when I needed her when Hydra had taken over SHIELD. She remained loyal, steadfast in her belief she was doing the right thing. She was determined and smart. Over the last five years, she kept the Avengers running, keeping the team together as best she could even as we went our separate ways. She was the glue that held us all together. Natasha Romanoff wasn’t just a colleague or a friend… She was more than that.” Steve glanced over the crowd, his eyes finally landing on Clint. “She was family and she will always be.”

Steve sat back down, head bowed. 

Then Clint’s three children walked forward holding a bouquet of flowers each. Off to the side was a small patch of ground where Clint had planted a tree in Natasha’s honour. The tree would grow over the years. Lila Barton knelt down and placed the three bouquets before the ground and then three envelopes were placed there, hand-written letters from the children to the honorary Aunt they would deeply miss.

There was a period of five minutes where everyone stood quietly and thought of Natasha before they all began to walk towards Clint’s farmhouse where his wife had prepared food for them. Each choice of dish had been one Natasha had loved. 

As the day faded into the night the guests left, leaving just the original, remaining, five Avengers left sitting on Clint’s porch. 

Clint had offered Tony the use of their guest bedroom and Pepper and Morgan had already headed upstairs to bed whilst Tony remained with the others. 

Thor was drinking again. Steve sat in the corner. Despite their disagreement, today wasn’t the day to keep the wound open. Honouring Natasha was more important than arguing with one another. No matter Steve’s intentions for when he returned to the stones, today he was their friend. 

Tony didn’t head to bed until the early hours of the morning, way after Thor had fallen asleep in the chair, Steve had left to prepare for his mission, and Bruce had left with him as Bruce would be co-ordinating Steve’s time-travelling antics. 

Struggling up the stairs, Tony eventually made it to the top where he found his way to Pepper and Morgan. They were curled up together in bed fast asleep. Even in the darkness, he could see them. 

He couldn’t help but allow his mind to wonder. It should have been him in the ground today, him and Natasha. None of the other Avengers knew of this and Tony never intended to tell them. 

It just wasn’t fair Tony had lived and Natasha hadn’t. 

She had still had so much to live for. 

Getting into bed quietly, Tony closed his eyes. All he could think about was how much he would miss Natasha. 

\- - - - -

Over the next weeks following Natasha’s funeral, Tony began working on Extremis to specifically code it to heal his scars and his right arm. He wasn’t sure if this would work. He corresponded with Shuri and Helen Cho, working with them to ensure his calculations were correct. He’d need to carry out precise testing before using it on himself. 

The day after the funeral, Steve had left to return the Infinity Stones to their rightful places in time and he had not returned to the present, though Bruce had left the time machine operating in the hope Steve might still pop back through.

Tony chose to ignore what Steve had done; what he had thrown away and instead focused on perfecting Extremis. It would take a few weeks, perhaps months, but Tony was determined to get there. 

\- - - - -

Pepper had called for a press conference. She’d kept a low profile and had been on personal leave from Stark Industries for a few months now but in the last week, she had started to return to work on a part-time basis. Though she’d had inquiries about her husband, Pepper had chosen to remain silent on the matter, explaining more would be announced soon. 

There was such a high interest in Tony’s whereabouts that Pepper called a press conference earlier than she had wanted to. She had hoped to settle back into her role before needing to make a public statement. As it was, the call went out and the press assembled.

She stood in front of everyone once they had all seated, casting her eyes over the crowd of reporters. Pressing her hands to the side of the podium, Pepper cleared her throat. “Good afternoon. You all know who I am. There is no need to introduce myself. First of all, I want to thank all of you for respecting my family’s privacy during the last few months. I know you are all used to Tony being quite open about his life but that has now changed. The safety of our daughter, Morgan, will always be first and foremost. We both want her to grow up with a normal childhood, something that Tony was denied himself.” 

“I am sure you would all prefer to hear how Tony is getting on?” She smiled at the eager reaction of her audience. “Tony is recovering well. We haven’t revealed much about his condition. He did suffer serious burns on the right side of his body and as a result of this; his right arm had to be amputated. He has extensive scarring and we are looking into options to determine if further healing can be undertaken to reduce the level of scarring. Tony has retired from the Avengers for good. He wants to concentrate on his family. Tony will step out in public when he is ready to. But we would like to emphasise we wish to maintain our privacy.” She stepped back from the podium. “I will now take questions.”

There was an assortment of different questions flung her way which Pepper answered with ease. Most were concerned with the continuing role _Stark Industries_ would play in regards to the Avengers and whether they would give aid to people found homeless when they had returned after being snapped. But the final question was one Pepper had not expected to be asked. 

“Where is Steve Rogers and why isn’t he doing his job as leader of the Avengers?”

Much as she would like to reveal where Steve was now Pepper had to bite her tongue at that and decline to answer, merely stating the affairs of the Avengers were no longer their concern and if they wished to know the locations of Steve Rogers, they would be better off asking the Avengers themselves. 

With her intentions clear to not provide any more information, Pepper bid farewell and left the lobby. 

\- - - - -

It was a few weeks later when the unexpected happened.

Tony was in his garage with Shuri, who was visiting for a few days to help Tony design a new arm. Though he was working on Extremis in the hope of growing himself a new arm, Tony wanted a fail-safe design in place, just in case, Extremis didn’t work. He’d rather have an arm on standby, ready to be fitted if Extremis didn’t work. He was still a way off from perfecting the formula and it was nice to spend a few days tinkering with designs and experimenting with what could be a new arm for him. 

Tony had insisted on the designs being done at his home rather than taking trips to the other side of the world. Shuri hadn’t minded as it gave her the opportunity to see lesser advanced technology in action and of course make comments on how Tony could improve his tech, suggestions which Tony ignored. He didn’t mind her spunk. 

What he didn’t expect was when he was close to finishing the designs with Shuri, was to receive an unexpected visitor; a visitor who he had long thought gone from his life.   
Steve Rogers was standing in the grounds of his home, wearing 1940’s era clothes, with his hair messed, dirt on his clothes and across his face, and tears streaking down his cheeks. 

Steve said four words before he sunk to the grass. “Tony, I messed up.” 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! 
> 
> So, yes... Steve's trip back to attempt to live with Peggy didn't work out... and of course, he's come to Tony to try to fix it. You'll find out exactly what went wrong with Steve in the next chapter... 
> 
> Did you like the funeral? I feel it is only apt that the original Avengers paid tribute to her as they knew Nat best. 
> 
> I hope to post more next week... I think there will be about another three chapters to this story. 
> 
> Until then,
> 
> the-writer1988


	10. Steve's Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony learns exactly what happened to Steve when he went back in time...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I am a bit nervous about posting this chapter. As a warning, if you like Steve, you probably won't like this chapter. Steve has made a huge mistake...

Tony put down his portable designer, his eyes focused on Steve Rogers kneeling on his grass in the front of his garage, the door to which he had left open.

“Shuri,” he said quietly. “Please go back to the house. Tell Pepper, Steve has returned.”

Shuri nodded and quickly left the garage, skirting around Steve’s sobbing form in the grass. 

Approaching slowly, Tony walked across the grass and thrust his left arm into his pocket. He had known Bruce had left the Time Machine working, just in case Steve did return. The portal Time Machine had been erected not far from Tony’s lakeside house and he and Bruce had been taking it in turns to check on it. 

Tony had wanted to dismantle it. The Avengers had voted to keep it open. Despite it being his technology, Tony had reluctantly agreed. Now he had to deal with Rogers. 

“Things go wrong with your attempt to change the timeline?” He couldn’t help the condemnation in his voice. 

Steve slowly looked up. “I messed up.” His voice was breaking. 

“You came here for a reason,” stated Tony harshly. “If you’re looking for sympathy from me, you’re not having it. I disagreed with your choice to want to stay back in time. Didn’t work out well for you, did it?” 

Steve shook his head. 

Tony sighed. “I’m not getting on the floor to console you, Rogers. If you want to talk, I’m in there, working.” 

He walked off. He’d rather kick Rogers off his land but a part of him was intrigued to find out what the man had done to make him upset enough. Rogers never cried. 

Returning to his work table, Tony picked up the portable designer tablet and began to look over the designs for his new arm. It didn’t take long for Steve to join him in the garage.   
What he said made Tony nearly drop the tablet. 

“I killed you.” 

“What?” Tony turned to face Rogers. 

“I killed you.” 

“You came back from the 1940’s, right?” 

“1950, actually.” 

“You were there for a few years then,” noted Tony. “I’m not sure if you know how old I am Rogers, but I wasn’t born in the 1940’s. How could you have killed me?” 

Steve was trying to keep his composure but Tony could see the man was struggling. “Howard. I killed Howard. You won’t be born.” 

“How did you kill Howard?” Tony was feeling more and more confused as the conversation went on. 

“I returned the Tesseract and jumped back to 1945,” said Steve. “I went to find Peggy. I told her it had taken me a while to find my way back to civilisation. I asked her to keep me secret. I didn’t want to be known to be alive… She agreed. We got together, planned a future together, got married on the quiet… but…” He bowed his head. “Because she kept me a secret, her friends started to get suspicious over the years. They knew she was married but no one had ever seen me as whenever we had visitors I was always out. We always hid evidence of who I was.” 

Tony had a sinking feeling of where this was going. Steve had tried to place himself into the main timeline but Tony knew who Peggy’s husband was and it hadn’t been Steve. Steve had ended up creating not just one alternate reality but several others due to his efforts to maintain extreme secrecy. 

“There had been a lot of robberies in the area where we lived. Common in those days. We’d been living there for five years. Our house was targeted and I defended our home…. But they weren’t a burglar. Howard had come late at night to investigate what Peggy was hiding and why she was hiding it. He just wanted to know. He knew if he visited during the day I’d slip out the back so he thought approaching at night and coming into our house would be the better idea. But because of the robberies, I attacked first and asked questions later. A few of our neighbours had been wounded in the other attacks as the thieves had threatened with knives or injured them. I attacked Howard in the dark, element of surprise and all that. He fell down the stairs… He hit his head and his neck snapped on impact.” Steve’s legs buckled and he collapsed to the floor. “I didn’t mean to… I killed him. I didn’t mean to create a branch reality. I was in this timeline! I’m sure I was! I was being careful… But Howard… God, I killed him. I messed up. He’s dead and you won’t be born.” 

Tony swallowed, trying to digest the information. 

“I told Peggy everything. Where I really came from. Where the other me was. She… she… hated me. Shouted at me for being selfish. For trying to insert myself back into the past when I had a family in the future. She took off her wedding ring… threw it at me and told me to leave. I messed up… Messed up the perfect ending I had, all because I wanted to be with Peggy. But… she didn’t want me.” 

If Tony could have folded his arms across his chest he would have. “As I said during the battle, if you mess with time, time tends to mess back. Well done, Rogers, you’ve successfully screwed up a universe where I won’t be born, where you’ve hindered the world even further, and perhaps doomed that entire branch timeline to death. The Thanos there will win. And it is all because of you.” 

“You have to help me!” swallowed Steve. 

Tony took a step back. “No. You got yourself into this mess, Rogers, it is about time you started owning up for your actions and paying the price for your own decisions. You killed a man because of them.” 

Steve bowed his head, guilt weighing heavily on his conscience. 

“You succeeded in making a reality where I will never exist,” continued Tony. He didn’t have much sympathy for Steve. He’d messed up big time and it was slightly gratifying to see. “You need to clear up your own mess for once. Don’t come running to me to fix every little thing. I’m retired now.” Tony turned away from Steve. “Get off my land before I call the authorities for trespass. And believe me, I will follow it up in court and ruin you, Rogers, if you do not leave now.” 

He didn’t have to give Steve a chance to leave. But he would. 

“Friday, alert me if Rogers tries to take anything from here,” he said out-loud. “And tell me when he leaves or if he doesn’t. Give him thirty minutes.” 

Tony didn’t look back once as he returned to his house. 

It felt good to deny Rogers something for once. 

\- - - - -

He asked Shuri to mind Morgan for a bit whilst he and Pepper could talk. 

“What did he want?” she asked cautiously. 

“He screwed up. Created an alternate timeline where I was never born,” replied Tony. 

“He did what?” Pepper nearly shouted. “And you’re letting him go?” 

“He’s not my problem. If he wants me to forgive him for killing my father so I am never born? Forget it. He’s an idiot. Peggy ditched him when she learned the truth of where he really came from. If Rogers really wants forgiveness, he’ll go back and face judge and jury for his crime. Technically, he stole someone else’s life. And he chose to go back there. Why should he get away with murder by running back to the future? As long as he leaves here and doesn’t bother me again, he can go. But if he tries to maintain contact, I’ll haul him through the courts for trespass.” Tony sighed. 

“I still wish we could have revealed to the world what he did. Where he disappeared to,” said Pepper. 

“I know you wanted to, Pep, but its best to let him wallow in his own misery. If he stays here, he’ll soon make another colossal mistake.” 

\- - - - -

Tony didn’t know what happened to Steve. He simply disappeared. 

Either way, he didn’t care. 

As long as he was left alone to enjoy his retirement, Tony didn’t care what Steve did with his life, as long as he didn’t try to mess anything else up. 

Tony completed the arm designs with Shuri, then gave them to her to construct it in Wakanda. If he needed it, he would call on her, if not the arm could be donated to someone else if Extremis didn’t work. It had felt good to be designing again, something Tony wanted to get back to, though he would be taking more of a backseat with Stark Industries. Once he felt ready, he would return to the company but only in a limited capacity as he preferred to be at home with his daughter. 

He and Pepper had even started to talk about having another child, though Pepper had ruled it out until Tony was as healthy as he could be. 

Morgan was coming up to school age. She was smart and would surely excel academically, much as Tony had, but he wouldn’t push her. He didn’t want her to grow up feeling like she always needed to keep on trying to please him. 

No, Morgan wouldn’t be pushed to excel. She would do it in her own time. 

It was a few weeks later after Tony completed the arm designs that he finally cracked the Extremis code. He keyed it specifically to target certain areas, mainly his arm and his facial and body scars. 

He decided to go to Wakanda for the procedure. He would rather be there for this then in his own home. Pepper had decided to go with him, as well as Rhodey, leaving Morgan in the care of Happy. 

He’d rather have the best care available in case he’d miscalculated. 

Once again, he called upon Doctor Strange to portal him over. The wizard obliged without any complaints though Tony did wonder how much longer he could keep this up. It was so convenient to have a wizard transport you to one side of the world in a matter of seconds than to wait hours on a plane for it to reach its destination. 

Though he expected Strange would always feel guilty about placing him on the path to his death. He didn’t know why the wizard still felt guilty over it. He’d saved Tony’s life, stopped it from happening. Ensured Tony could live to see his daughter grow up. 

“I swear once you’ve returned us home, this will be the last time I ask for your help,” said Tony, shaking Strange’s hand. 

“Hmmm…” Strange didn’t answer, only looked incredulously at Tony. 

Tony set up in Shuri’s lab. He lay on a metallic table with his shirt and trousers off, leaving him in just his boxers. The scarring trailed down to his legs and they needed to assess whether Extremis would work by having every area on view. 

Pepper and Rhodey sat behind a screen. Pepper looking worried, hugging her arms against her chest. 

Tony held his thumb up and grinned. 

It would be alright. 

He knew it would be. 

Shuri approached him with a syringe. “You ready?” She’d already cannulated him. 

Tony nodded. “Go for it.” 

Shuri attached the syringe to the cannula and gently began to push the modified Extremis formula into Tony’s bloodstream. 

He didn’t feel anything at first but then he felt heat focusing on the areas it needed to target. Immense pain spread over the right side of his face, shoulder, down the right side of his chest and his abdomen and down his right leg. 

He strained, trying not to voice his pain. He didn’t want to worry Pepper. He could see the areas affected were glowing orange. Biting his lip, he felt his body buckle. 

“SHIT!” he swore. He couldn’t help it. He screamed. He saw Pepper leap up and start forward but Rhodey grabbed her, pulling her back. 

Shuri was by his side again, trying to insert a syringe into the port but Tony’s body buckled and his flaying arm sent her flying. 

They hadn’t strapped him down and he rolled off the table, crashing to the floor and landed on his shoulder. 

He jerked, convulsed and then felt nothing as numbness suddenly swept through his body. 

He blinked, trying to focus. 

“TONY!” 

Pepper was by his side. 

“Tony? Please say something!” 

“Urgh…” Tony moaned, his lips feeling numb. He tried to sit up but Pepper’s small hands kept him on his back. “I’m… okay… Am I still… glowing?” 

Pepper shook her head. “No.” 

“Help me up.” 

He still couldn’t feel his right arm. 

Pepper helped Tony into a sitting position. 

There were tears shimmering in his wife’s eyes. 

“Did it work?” he asked. He saw Rhodey standing slightly off to the side, a look of relief on his face. 

“Mostly,” she answered, reaching up to stroke his right cheek. 

Tony looked down at his right arm and saw nothing. “Oh. My arm didn’t grow back.” 

“But your scars are mostly healed. There are just small traces of scars left.” 

“I need to see,” he replied. 

Shuri had recovered from Tony’s flinging of her and passed him a mirror. 

Tony saw his face was mostly healed. The scar tissue was now replaced with thin scars decorating his skin. It hadn’t got rid of them completely. He hadn’t wanted them to. But the ugly scars that had decorated the right side of his body had faded completely, the skin almost completely new. 

But his arm… 

In a way, he had expected Extremis to not be able to heal his arm. His arm had taken the brunt of the Infinity Stones power. There was probably some lingering damage there, enough to still be able to counteract Extremis, no matter how much Tony attempted to modify it. 

“It worked,” he smiled. His vision in his right eye had improved but was not one hundred percent healed but that didn’t matter too much. He wondered if the weakness in his right leg was gone too. Extremis should have targeted the nerves affected, hopefully healing them. “Didn’t think it would help with the right arm though.” 

“It’s better than nothing,” whispered Pepper, kissing him on his right side. 

The kiss left his cheek tingling. “That feels strange.” He’d suffered numbness on his right side, unable to really feel anything, but now he could. He reached out with his left hand and grabbed Pepper’s left hand, moving it up to place it against his cheek. “I can feel again.” He didn’t know why he felt like crying. “I love you.” 

“I love you too,” whispered Pepper, moving closer to him.

“Err… do you two want a bedroom?” interrupted Rhodey, “because it could get really awkward here if you two continue….” 

“Shut up platypus,” said Tony out of the corner of his mouth as he kissed Pepper on the lips. 

Pepper laughed, allowed Tony to kiss her one more time before pulling back. “We can continue this later, mister. But first, haven’t you got something else to fix first?” She nodded where his right arm should be. “You’ve designed a new one for this very need if Extremis didn’t work. Why not get it connected now?” 

Tony hadn’t considered that option. “I’d have to be put under. I’d need to stay a few days.” 

“We can operate tonight. Mr Stark,” advised Shuri. “You can be leaving Wakanda in two days.” 

“But Morgan is expecting me home…” said Tony. 

“I’ll bring her here,” answered Pepper. “Then she will have no need to worry.”

Tony relented. It would be better to get his new bionic arm attached now rather than wait. At least he’d be able to get back to normality with it. “We’ll do it. But I want to be home in two days.” 

Shuri chuckled. “We will make sure of that, Mr Stark,” she promised. 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! 
> 
> Yes... Steve has made the mistake in ensuring Tony will never be born. There is a branch of reality where there is no Tony Stark. And, I think Peggy would probably chuck him out after learning of where he came from, as Steve has changed the past to create a divergent timeline anyway. 
> 
> I wanted to really ruin Steve's happy ending in this fic, so I am nervous about posting this chapter because of this... I hope people like it? 
> 
> Next chapter is already written and will be posted next weekend! 
> 
> the-writer1988


	11. Compassion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony gets two unexpected visitors and ventures out into the world for the first time since his recovery...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments regarding what I did with Steve's trip to the past! I was really nervous about posting it so I am glad it worked! 
> 
> I think this may be the penultimate chapter though I am not too sure on that. Please do, enjoy!

True to her word, Shuri ensured Tony was free to return home two days later. 

The operation to connect his new bionic arm went smoothly. They had used a combination of organically grown arteries and veins and muscles to ensure the arm would meld perfectly with Tony’s body. He wouldn’t need any anti-rejection drugs either as the new organic material had been grown from his own cells. It was almost a form of cloning, a technique that Wakanda did not use widely but had perfected a few years back. 

Vibranium had advanced their technology by years. 

Tony’s new arm worked straight away. He was able to move it and there was a chip, attached to Tony’s head, beside his ear where it sent signals to his brain, allowing him to move his arm. True to form, Tony had wanted his arm to stand out. 

He wanted the Iron Man colours. 

He’d had the arm painted red and gold. Pepper had been fine with the idea. He wouldn’t have had those colours if she had disagreed with them. He even had a little repulsor blast put into the hand as a form of defence, not that he ever wanted to use it. And it could only be activated by a specific code-word, meaning the repulsor would only charge if absolutely necessary. 

And Morgan would not know the code until she was old enough either. And that was only hinging on whether it was really necessary for her to know, which both Tony and Pepper doubted. 

When they returned from Wakanda, Morgan was thrilled to see her father’s new arm. She wouldn’t stop holding it for the rest of the day. Tony didn’t mind. He loved his daughter and to see her still love him so much despite his injuries was truly wonderful. 

Once she was in bed, Tony and Pepper retreated to their own room. 

“I think this is the best I am going to get,” said Tony, flexing the fingers of his new arm. 

Pepper smiled. “At least you are here with us.” 

“I know.” He moved his right leg a bit. Most of the nerves had healed but there was still some damage there that Extremis hadn’t been able to fix. He had a slight weakness but was able to walk properly again without any aid. He would never be able to be combat ready again, something Tony was relieved about. “I need to be seen in public now.” 

“I can call a press conference,” suggested Pepper. 

“Or we could just go out for dinner as a family,” tried Tony. 

“With Morgan?” clarified Pepper. 

“Yeah, why not? Press conferences are behind me, Pep. I just want to rest.” 

“You can rest now,” smiled Pepper. “Dinner it is then. But we’ll make sure they cannot publish Morgan’s face. We agreed to keep her privacy intact after all.” 

Tony rolled onto his left side, facing Pepper. He had moved back to the left side of the bed now that he had his right arm back. “I want another one, Pep.” 

Pepper leaned in and kissed Tony on the lips. “Baby?” She snuggled closer to him. 

“Yeah, I do.” Then he smiled. “And I think I’m healed enough that we could perhaps… you know…” He waggled his eyebrows at her. 

“Do you now?” Pepper grinned, moved in and kissed him on the lips deeply. 

It didn’t take them long before they were encased in each other’s arms, their bodies sliding together as they made love. 

\- - - - -

It was a few days later that Tony received two visitors: Bucky and Sam. He’d been playing with Morgan when Pepper announced their arrival. Leaving Morgan to play on her own in her room, Tony took the stairs and found Bucky and Sam sitting on his sofa. 

“I wasn’t expecting to see you two,” he noted as he moved to stand in front of the fire. They really needed more furniture. 

“You have a new arm,” said Bucky. 

“And your scars…” Sam didn’t finish. 

Tony smirked. “I’m not telling you my secret.”

“Wasn’t asking. If that raccoon from outer space saw that arm, he’d want it,” joked Bucky. 

Tony couldn’t help but smile. He’d gotten to know Rocket over the years. Nebula had visited when she could and Rocket had always tailed along behind her. Rocket had an infatuation with technology and always wanted a piece of it. “That’s true, he would.” He leaned back against the wall. “I guess this isn’t a social visit?” 

“No…” admitted Sam quietly. “Have you seen Steve recently?” 

“Yes.”

“Was he alright?” asked Bucky pensively. 

“No. He accidentally made sure I never existed in another branch of reality. And Peggy chucked him out once she realised the truth of where he came from.” Tony waited for their reaction. 

“So he told you that too,” sighed Bucky. 

“I think I was the first person he came to, actually.” Tony crossed his arms over his chest. It felt good to do something as simple as that. “Why? Where is he now?” Not that he really cared. 

“He turned up at the new compound, completely white, shaking and started babbling about killing Howard Stark. How you were never born. And how Peggy hated him. He wouldn’t stop,” explained Sam. “We had to stop him from doing something stupid.” 

Tony scoffed. “Good luck with that.”

“At the moment Steve has been sectioned.” 

Tony hadn’t been expecting that news. 

“For severe post-traumatic stress disorder,” added Bucky. “He’s, well, gone insane.” 

Tony didn’t know what to think. Steve had essentially bought this on himself. “I tried to warn him about going back to the past. He had a family here yet he abandoned all of us for a woman he barely knew. He wouldn’t listen. No one has ever listened to me, have they? We’d have been more prepared for Thanos if the Avengers hadn’t split. If Steve had taken my offer to sign the Accords when he could have done… this could have all been avoided. I suppose you want me to help with Steve?” 

“We’re not expecting you to,” mentioned Sam, leaning back on the sofa. 

“Good.” Tony’s eyes hardened. “Why are you here then?” 

“We thought you’d like to know what happened to Steve…” admitted Bucky. “I know you two never really got on…” 

“You’re right, we didn’t.” Tony sighed. “Look, I hate saying this, I really do, but Steve was thrust out into the modern life with no preparation at all. He wasn’t inducted properly. SHIELD used him. And now the people who care about him, mainly you two, have to clear up his shit. I already told him when he came here; he needs to start clearing up his own messes without me. If wanted to atone for any actions he may have committed in that branch off he created by staying with Peggy and killing my father before I was even born, then he should return to it and face the consequences of his actions. But he won’t. Now you are lumbered with him and his mental issues.” Tony stopped, as if contemplating something. “There is something I could give you to help him.” 

“But you’re not going to,” guessed Sam. 

“You’re not asking for my help. I’m offering it. One could say you hoped I might help by coming here and telling me about him without actually asking me.” He narrowed his eyes. “I’m hoping you wouldn’t try to deceive me.”

“I know we haven’t been on the best of terms,” said Sam slowly, “but you’ve made it clear you’re not an Avenger anymore. And we do not expect help. As you say, Steve got into this mess on his own. We’re not going to fix his problems for him. He needs to get out of it on his own.”

“Which he won’t,” admitted Tony. “He won’t ask for help. He won’t admit when he’s wrong. Look, I’m going to give you something that may help him. But it is on the condition that you convince him to start owning up to his mistakes. Even if he doesn’t, it’s a start. Follow me.”

\- - - - -

Bucky and Sam followed Tony to his garage where he pulled out a pair of glasses. 

“Glasses?” Bucky raised his eyebrows incredulously. 

“Not just glasses. Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing, otherwise known as B.A.R.F, a therapeutic technology which allows the wearer to project their memories and perhaps, console themselves within it. It could help Steve.” Tony didn’t know why he was offering this device but hearing Steve had been sectioned bought it home to Tony how mentally ill Steve had been for years. 

And Tony knew what it was like to suffer with mental illness. He never wanted anyone to suffer the way he had without proper and effective treatment. “Just, if you use this and it helps… keep Rogers away from me and my family.”

“I think we can manage it,” smiled Bucky, taking the glasses from Tony. 

Tony lowered his shoulders. “I don’t like him but mental illness isn’t something I can easily ignore without trying something. I would have helped you, you know, once I’d calmed down over Siberia.” His lips twitched. “It would be nice if these could be returned at some point though.” Tony indicated the glasses.

“I’ll make sure of it,” said Sam warmly. 

“Thanks.”

\- - - - -

Their first outing as a family came a few weeks later. They didn’t tell anyone, they just booked a table at Tony’s favourite Burger Restaurant for three under the name ‘Potts’. 

They didn’t bother to book a privacy suite; they just wanted to be normal, despite Tony’s celebrity status. Morgan wasn’t truly aware of how famous her father was. Having decided to retire to a cabin, on a secluded piece of land, away from civilisation, it had enabled Morgan to grow up unaware of much of the larger world. She knew something bad had happened before she’d been born but the extent of it, she’d been too young to know the details. 

They arrived at the restaurant early enough, around five in the afternoon. There were not many people there though the ones who were stopped eating and drinking to stare as Tony and his family walked past. 

Sitting at a table in the corner did give them a small amount of privacy. 

Morgan ordered the fries and cheeseburger and dutifully told her dad to order the same whilst Pepper ordered a vegetarian burger with a side of salad. 

Other customers kept their distance though both Tony and Pepper got the impression they wanted to say something to him but because they had Morgan with them they were respecting their right to family time. 

Tony did become aware a few photos were taken of him discreetly sitting at the table. Thankfully they had arranged for Morgan to be sitting with her back to the other guests, ensuring they wouldn’t be able to publish her face, as he was sure the photos of him would be spread online as quickly as possible. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t already have them on social media. 

“Enjoying your burger, little miss?” asked Tony. He’d already finished his. 

She nodded, her chin covered in ketchup, which Tony helped her rub away with her napkin. “Cheeseburgers are the best.”

“I thought I was the best?” asked Tony quietly. 

“No…. you’re the best daddy!” giggled Morgan. “And mummy is the best mummy!”

“And you’re the best Morgan,” replied Tony. 

“No. I’m the best ever!” 

“That’s what I said!” continued Tony, feigning surprise at his daughter. 

Morgan shook her head, her hair falling about her shoulders. “Uh-huh. Best Morgan isn’t the same as being the best ever!” 

Tony held up his hands. “Alright, little miss, you win!”

Morgan smiled. 

Pepper burst out laughing. 

They enjoyed a leisurely dinner and when it was time to leave, Tony picked Morgan up and hid her face in his shoulder. They walked past the other patrons before one of them, stood from his table and started to clap, smiling broadly as Tony walked past. 

“Thank you, Mr. Stark, for everything you’ve done!” the man said. 

Tony stopped at the man’s table. Morgan peered around at the man. 

“Daddy, what have you done?” 

Tony gently turned Morgan’s face away. “One day daddy will tell you the story about the giant purple grape from space who wanted to invade the planet, but not just yet… You’ll have to wait until you are older to hear that one!” 

“But I wanna hear about the purple grape now!” moaned Morgan into his shoulder. 

Tony chuckled and turned his attention back to the man. “Thank you.” 

“Enjoy your retirement, Mr. Stark,” the man added. “You’ve earned it.”

Tony inclined his head and smiled. He wasn’t too sure how to respond. 

Pepper stepped up to his side, gently taking his bionic hand in her own. “Thank you for respecting our privacy tonight. This is Tony’s first time out since everything happened… We just want to live a normal life now.” 

“You helped bring my wife back. You deserve what you want,” the man replied. 

Morgan tugged on Tony’s lapels. “Daddy, can I have a juice pop?” 

“You sure can, little miss, but only when we get home.” Tony pressed a kiss to his daughter’s cheek, who hugged him tighter. 

Pepper shook the man’s hand on Tony’s behalf and the couple quietly left the restaurant, pleased to see that when they left, there was no one waiting outside for them. 

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! 
> 
> I like to think, no matter what Tony's feelings are towards Steve, that once he knows Steve has been sectioned for mental health reasons, he would want to try to help because of his own history with mental health. Tony is showing compassion to Steve by offering his help, providing, of course, Sam and Bucky keep Steve away from him and his family. I think it is realistic for Tony to want to help in this situation, even if it is in a small way. 
> 
> The next chapter will probably be the last as I have pretty much wrapped everything up with this chapter. Look for it next weekend! 
> 
> In the meantime, a little self-promotion here, I have started a new fic called 'Old Souls' which deals with if Tony was sent back in time to 2016 at the moment of his death to fix things. It can be classed as an Endgame Fix-It, so if you haven't already and want to check it out, click on my profile and you'll find it! It will be a long fic and I have so many ideas for it! 
> 
> Until next time,
> 
> the-writer1988


	12. One Year Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One year later...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This is the last chapter to this story!

**One Year Later**

It had been a whole year since Natasha had died.

A whole year since Tony had snapped his fingers and vanquished Thanos and his army.

A whole year since everyone had returned via the Hulk.

Life had pretty much returned to normal.

Or the best it could following such an event as the Decimation.

There were still people who had lost because when they had returned they had found people they had loved had died in the ensuing five years, either through ill health or unable to cope with the loss of those they had loved. Not everyone had a happy ending, but the world moved on.

On the anniversary of the day of the returnees, the world celebrated but also honoured Natasha’s sacrifice and Tony’s own. Though Tony had been fortunate to live, he was still known as Earth’s Best Defender.  His victory was celebrated. Documentaries were made about him and several films were in production about his life.

But Tony himself?

He was retired.

Enjoying spending the days with Morgan before she headed off to school.

And looking forward to the arrival of their second daughter.

\- - - - -

Steve was declared mentally insane after a year of psychiatric tests. He was kept detained within a mental hospital under armed guard with no chance of release unless he made significant improvements. Unfortunately, even Tony’s gift of B.A.R.F had not helped Rogers. He continued to mutter about killing Howard and how he’d ruined the future, unable to reflect on the rest of his life to begin the necessary healing processes.

Only Tony, Pepper, Sam and Bucky really understood what had happened to Steve but there was nothing they could do for him. Steve had to help himself.

All the public knew of Steve Rogers was his mental health had significantly decreased following the Battle For Earth and, for his and their safety, had to be detained under the Mental Health Act.  

\- - - - -

Tony and Pepper stayed living at the cabin where they had started their married life. It was the best place for Morgan and their soon-to-be-arrival could grow up with their privacy intact. Morgan had started school just a month before and they chose to educate her in a small-town school, not far from where they lived.

They were already known in the town for they had been visiting for years on a weekly basis.

Even when reporters had located the town where Tony and Pepper frequented, no one divulged the location of their cabin. The people loved Tony too much to gain his ire. And, most of them didn’t know where it was, though the parents of Morgan’s friends were soon trusted with the information.

It helped the land had been registered under a different name, one that could not be linked back to Tony.

Christmas of 2024 was something to remember. He’d pretty much missed Christmas of 2023 as he’d still been in Wakanda recovering.

Their cabin had been decorated with a large Christmas tree in the corner with Avenger-styled decorations hanging from the branches and the lights around it flashed different colours. The rest of the house was filled with traditional decorations.

They invited Rhodey, Happy, Clint and his family, Bruce, Thor and Peter and his Aunt May for Christmas, wanting to celebrate as a team and as a family.

Morgan was dressed in a red and gold dress, her hair splayed across her shoulders as she ran excitedly around the house, tugging at everyone’s hands to come and play with her. Clint helped Tony to cook the roast as Pepper was heavily pregnant and had to rest.

Or rather Clint attempted to teach Tony how to cook. It did not go well.

“So… got any names yet?” Clint asked as he and Tony stood in the kitchen whilst the others attempted to entertain Morgan in the next room.

Tony leaned back against the counter, arms over his chest. “We were thinking…” His lips twitched. “Her name should be Natasha.” He fell silent watching Clint’s reaction carefully.

Clint smiled sadly. “She’d like that. She was disappointed when my third wasn’t a girl. I’d always told her we’d name the next after her… She should be here for it.”

“I know. It’s not fair she isn’t…” Tony trailed off. He’d been lucky to survive. Nat had paid the price with her life, and he’d paid for it for his arm and his remaining facial scars. “We’ll always remember her, Clint. Not just every year but every day. Nat is partly the reason why I will not return to the field. She gave her life so we could all live with our loved ones. I have Pepper, Morgan and a new baby on the way… Oh, and Gerald the Alpaca… I can’t waste another second not being with them. I’m off the grid for good.”

“Even though you have a weapon as your arm?” grinned Clint. They all knew Tony’s arm could be used defensively if it was required to.

“For emergencies only.” Tony glanced at the bubbling pot behind Clint. “I think the vegetables are just about done.”

Clint focused on the vegetables whilst Tony looked at the turkey in the oven.

“Is this ready?” Tony squinted. “It looks ready.”

“For a genius, you really are useless in the kitchen,” sniggered Clint, gently pushing Tony aside to look into the oven. Using oven gloves he pulled the turkey out and then pushed it back into the warm heat. “Another ten minutes. Do you think you can make gravy?”

Tony blinked. “Not hard, is it? A little bit of hot water and granules? Sure.”

Clint looked doubtful but turned his attention to the vegetables, setting them out on a large dish whilst Tony worked on the gravy.

By the time Clint had finished with the vegetables, Tony had already succeeded in making a mess of the gravy.

“Urgh, no wonder Pepper laughed when I offered to help you cook!” Clint growled, gently nudging Tony to the side and taking the gravy from him. “Too watery!”

Tony cringed. “She has never let me learn.”

Clint snorted. “No wonder. You are a walking disaster in the kitchen!” Clint pointed out of the room. “Go. This is my kitchen! Out!”

Tony frowned but joined the others in the living area whilst Clint finished off in the kitchen.

Pepper glanced up from her position on the sofa where she cradled her belly. “I thought you were cooking?” Her eyes glinted.

“I got kicked out,” admitted Tony ruefully.

Pepper grinned. “What did you do?”

“Amongst other things? Err, I couldn’t tell when the turkey was cooked and I made the gravy too thin,” Tony shrugged and sat down next to Pepper as May moved along to accommodate him. “The kitchen should be a Tony-free zone.”

Pepper grinned at Laura, Clint’s wife. “Now you know why I was laughing when Clint offered to help Tony cook. I knew this was going to happen!”

\- - - - -

After the meal, Tony asked to speak to Peter on his own. Stepping outside his house, Tony walked across the grounds with his young protégé at his side towards the garage.

“What is it, Mr Stark?” Peter walked beside him, fidgeting a little.

Tony chuckled. “You always call me ‘Mr Stark’ when you’re nervous.”

“Well, I just… am… wondering what you want to show me…”

“Just a special gift I made for you,” smiled Tony, reaching the garage and palming his personal code in to lift the door up. “I have to change this code on a regular basis. Morgan is very good at getting in here.”

“She’s like you,” smiled Peter.

“It’s terrifying.” Tony swallowed. “She’s far too curious about everything in the garage. If she knows we are out here… she’ll be here…”

“It’s night…” observed Peter.

Tony snorted. “Hasn’t stopped the little Miss before.” He led Peter inside the garage. “The night I invented time travel… I was in the house, in the study… I didn’t know she was there on the stairs behind me, watching. She heard me say a bad word and repeated it. Morgan is always eager to learn, follow me around… Even get out of bed late at night to ask why I’m still up.”

“She really loves you,” commented Peter. “You appear to be a great dad.”

Tony smiled gently. “I try my best… I want her to feel loved and protected. I don’t get mad when she does anything wrong, I explain to her why she shouldn’t do it. I love her so much… And I nearly missed seeing her grow up…” Glancing at his metal, bionic arm Tony sighed. “I paid a heavy price… I’d rather this than being dead… I don’t want to be the absent father my own was to me. And…” he glanced at Peter, “you’re the reason why I decided I wanted kids in the first place.”

“Really?” Peter took a step back, surprised by Tony’s admission.

“You and Harley,” amended Tony.

“Harley?”

Tony grinned. “A kid I met in Tennessee. He helped me out of a tough spot and I sort of mentor him on and off. I’m helping to put him through college at the moment. You’d like him. Maybe I’ll introduce you two at some point.”

The lights to the garage switched on and Tony led Peter inside. His young eyes crossed over everything. Just one Iron Man suit stood encased in glass at the back of the garage. It was one of his earlier models. Besides the Iron Man suit was another glass case, only this one held Pepper’s Rescue Armour. Lining the walls were various pieces of paper, scattered remains of old designs. In the right-hand corner was Dum-E, Tony’s first robot he’d designed years ago during his time at MIT. Dum-E appeared offline.

“Dum-E was at the Compound when Thanos destroyed it…” said Tony. “Rhodey found the pieces and reassembled him. I still need to do some work on him before I can reactivate him. I’m not sure there is much for him to do here… One day I’ll give him to Morgan… I kind of want Dummy to be passed down through the family. He’s where… everything started. Same with U.” Tony indicated another robot sitting motionless in the left-hand corner of the garage. “Got destroyed, pieces were found… I might take them back to the Compound once its finished renovations. They need work to do… not sitting switched off in my garage. I do not design as much as I used to…” ruminated Tony. “Maybe I’m getting old.”

“Or you just want to spend as much time with your family as possible,” smiled Peter.

Tony grinned. “That’s probably it.”

Moving over to a cabinet mounted on the wall, Tony pressed a few buttons and opened the door, reaching up and removing a small device before turning and facing Peter. “I want you to have this.”

“What is it?” asked Peter as he reached over to take the small device from Tony’s hands.

It was a watch.

Tony held up his own wrist showing his own watch. “It’s a direct link to me. No need for phones. You get in trouble kid and you can call me. Or, better yet…” Tony reached over and tapped a small button on the side left side of the watch. “Press this and…” He inclined his head towards the Iron Man suit encased in glass. The eyes were lighting up as power erupted through the suit. “It will summon the suit straight away. The glass will not break. I’ve programmed it to slide down and the suit,” he pointed upwards, “can fly through that panel there which will open up. You will have remote access to a suit, plus you’ll be able to give instructions to Friday, who will be piloting it on my behalf. If you have time to contact me do so if not… activate the suit straight away. If I can remotely pilot it for you, I will but I am done with the superhero business now.”

Peter gaped. “You’re giving me an Iron Man suit?”

“Only for when you need it,” reiterated Tony. “It’s taken me a while to reconfigure the suit to respond to you. A lot of my suits only respond to me… and, well, since the Infinity Stones… my brain isn’t as it once was… It took me longer than it should have done to make the necessary changes to the programming to allow the suit to interact with your own suits. But I want you to have it. I can’t wear the suit again… Iron Man is retired but he can still be used by others. Pepper will only don the Rescue armour if it is absolutely necessary.”

“Wow… Thank you… Thank you, Mr….”

“Don’t!” smiled Tony.

Peter grinned. “Tony. I meant Tony.”

“Better. Happy Christmas, kid.” Tony pulled Peter into a hug. “And, by the way, your aunt knows I’m giving this to you. I checked with her to make sure she was happy about it.”

“What, the hug or the Iron Man suit?” Peter joked.

Tony laughed. “Oh, and one other thing. You’re writing an introduction to my book.”

“What? Your book?” Peter cocked his head to the side. “Since when did you write books?”

“Since I signed a contract to write my autobiography,” revealed Tony. “It’s not been announced yet… but I have the perfect title in mind…which I think suits how I defeated Thanos and his army.”

“What is it?” asked Peter. “Not ‘I am Iron Man’?”

Tony shook his head. “No, though that would fit as well. It’s something someone said to me nearly eleven years ago during the Mandarin crisis. It’s called ‘A Cheap Trick and a Cheesy One-Liner’. I think swiping the stones from Thanos and saying ‘I am Iron Man’ fits that.”  

“It does… it certainly does, Mr… Tony! I meant Tony!” Peter ducked as Tony swiped at him half-heartedly.

“You’re doing it deliberately, aren’t you?” said Tony, amused by Peter’s antics.

“Maybe…”

“Come on, we’d better head back before Morgan finds us out here. Keep that watch safe.”

“I will, Tony. Thanks.”

\- - - - -

Morgan giggled as Tony carried her up the stairs. “You had a good day?”

“I did, daddy!” Morgan clung to him, her fingers twirled with his clothes as she sat on his right arm for support. “Thank you for the presents! But next year can I have my own suit like Peter got?”

Tony groaned. “I really wish Peter hadn’t told you…”

“I saw you go to the garage but mummy stopped me from following,” pouted Morgan.

After dinner, in which she had spectacularly got food down her dress, she’d changed into simple leggings and a jumper. 

But now it was her bedtime, having been allowed up until most of their guests had left, though Happy and Rhodey were staying the night.

“You’re not old enough for a suit,” reminded Tony. “Little girls do not wear flying suits of armour. Nor do big girls.”

“But mummy does,” Morgan responded innocently. “She’s a big girl.”

Tony reached Morgan’s bedroom. “Come on get your pyjamas on and into bed. I’ll tell you a story...”

He waited outside the door whilst Morgan changed and clambered into bed.

“What story do you want tonight?” Tony asked, kneeling down beside the side of the bed.

“I wanna hear about the purple grape and how you squashed him!”

Tony couldn’t help laughing at his daughter’s innocent description of his defeat of Thanos. “Well…”

“I think she’s old enough to hear how you squashed the purple grape…” Pepper said, leaning against the doorframe.

Tony was surprised. But he supposed he didn’t need to be entirely truthful. Morgan didn’t need to know everything just yet. “Ok… One day, six years ago there was a giant purple grape, which fell from space, seeking smaller grapes to make him powerful. The purple grape wanted to save the universe but what he did made it worse. A year ago, Iron Man –”

“That’s my daddy!” squealed Morgan excitedly.

“-found a way to reverse what the giant purple grape did. He and his friends went on an adventure to collect all the smaller grapes and to use them ourselves to restore the universe to what it was. We succeeded but the giant purple grape found out and tried to stop us. He nearly won when Iron Man managed to take the small grapes from the giant one and used the grapes to defeat the giant purple grape. Defeated, the grape fell down and turned to dust. Then Iron Man got to go home to his family and tell his daughter the story a year later!”

“I loved the story, daddy. Can you tell it again?”

Tony glanced over his shoulder at his wife to see Pepper grinning. “Well… Maybe tomorrow.” He had a feeling the giant purple grape story would be on Morgan’s favourite bedtime stories for months. Possibly even years. “Time to sleep. Or, if you don’t…”

“You’ll sell all my toys. I know, daddy! I love you three thousand!”

Tony leaned across and kissed his daughter on the forehead. “Goodnight. Love you three thousand.”

Getting to his feet, Tony retreated out his daughter’s bedroom back to his own where Pepper was just getting changed into her nightwear, her very pregnant belly quite prominent in the dim light. 

“I’m going to be telling her that story for months now…”

“I know… And you told it well. She’s too young to know the full details. She’ll learn more as the years go by, but to her, it is just an innocent story which involves her favourite person in the world.” Pepper climbed into bed, rubbing her belly.

“I can’t believe we have her… How much she loves me…” he swallowed. It still surprised him how much his daughter loved him. He didn’t feel he deserved her or Pepper. How could they love him so much yet his own father had not shown he loved enough?

“Tony, you deserve all the love in the world,” said Pepper, reaching across to stroke his cheek. “I love you. And Morgan loves you three thousand. And this little one,” she grasped his flesh hand and placed it on her belly, “loves you too.”

As if in response, the baby kicked.

“See?”

“I love you all so much,” whispered Tony, pressing his lips to hers, pulling her close to him. “I am so lucky…”

“And so are we.” Pepper kissed him again. “All of us. We nearly lost you… I’m glad we didn’t. Our lives would be a lot less poor for it. You mean so much to all of us.”

Tony smiled. He rolled onto his back, taking one of Pepper’s hands with his own. “Goodnight, Pep.”

“Goodnight, Tony,” she smiled back at him.

It didn’t take long for Pepper to fall asleep beside him. Tony continued to lay there beside his wife. He was lucky, so very lucky to have such a wonderful wife, a beautiful daughter and another one on the way.

His life couldn’t be better than it already was.

Tony Stark could finally rest.   

**The End**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think!
> 
> Image of Tony and Morgan drawn for this fic by the talented JediPanda22 on Instagram. Please do check out their Instagram. Their art is simply amazing! 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has supported this story! I have thoroughly enjoyed writing it. It's helped me with Tony's death in Endgame. I still really enjoy Endgame as a whole but I'd have preferred a different ending for Tony and this is what I would have preferred to have happened! Plus, ruining Steve's ending was so much fun. Essentially, I've left Steve's ending open-ended so if you want to believe he did manage to recover, then do so, but for me, he never did. Because I honestly hated how Steve got the ending Tony should have had and ruining it was my therapy! 
> 
> And Morgan got her bedtime story of the purple grape! :D
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed this last chapter! 
> 
> And I decided since everyone else in Endgame Fix-Its were giving Tony and Pepper a second child a boy, I decided to go with another girl instead!
> 
> Once again, thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. It was fun to write but now it is over I shall be focusing on a few other projects, mainly Old Souls which is currently posting. Please check it out! 
> 
> the-writer1988

**Author's Note:**

> This is my attempt at trying to fix Tony's death. At this point, at the end of this chapter, he is about to die. Can Strange save him? If he does succeed, Tony has a long road ahead of him. 
> 
> More soon.


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